Was It Something I Said?
by Nesserz
Summary: An accident in Potions has Ginny Weasley saying things she's only ever dreamed of. The problem is, she's taking things too far and no one knows how to stop her. Ginny hasn't a clue to what’s going on. Will she be able to fix the mistakes she's made?
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. However, any of the characters that crop up throughout the story that you do not recognise, are created by me and/or my co writer Darkflower2113.

Authors Note: Now, you should all know that this story is co written. Well I suppose that's what you would call it. I, Nesserz, _write _the story, and my charming BETAspeller and friend, Darkflower2113 comes up with many of the brilliant ideas that have made this story. It's hard to explain really. We've worked together and have collaborated our ideas. Darkflower2113 is the brains of this outfit and I am the bringer-to-life of those ideas. As you can see I really shouldn't be writing this story…however, here goes!

Without further ado, here begins the much-awaited story, 'Was It Something I Said?'. Come on, you know it was much awaited. Yes you do!

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Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 1 –The Potion.

Ginny Weasley awoke with a start and looked around the room that she was currently staying in. She looked to her left and saw the bed next to hers was occupied. She lay still until all the other people in her dorm got up and prepared themselves for the new school day.

Ginny didn't talk to the girls in her dorm much, except for the occasional 'Hello' and 'Excuse me' in passing. They seemed nice but they just weren't her type of people. She was rather quiet herself and didn't say much, though she certainly thought many things that she knew she couldn't say. Or rather she could, but people would probably just laugh at her. She wasn't well known though she was the sister of Ron Weasley, the boy that some people referred to as 'Harry Potter's best friend.' But Ron didn't see himself that way. Just as Harry's 'good mate.' She'd be surprised if anyone outside her year knew her. That fact didn't bother her much as she would rather have a few select friends than to be the centre of attention. That was what she hated most actually, being the centre of attention.

Twenty minutes after the girls in Ginny's dorm had woken up, they'd dressed and left the room in a hurry giggling insanely together.

Ginny sighed and finally climbed out of her own bed and padded softly to the bathroom and undressed for her morning shower. As she stood under the hard-hitting jets of warm water she began to think about the upcoming year and what it could possibly have in store for her.

The official school year had started a few weeks ago and Ginny had already had enough. She remembered the days when she loved being at Hogwarts. Those days were long gone. She'd headed back to all those awful Potions classes, against her own will. She didn't like Potions for the simple fact that Snape seemed to have it in for her. Of course, she was the only one that believed this, as no one else wanted to hear about her problems. Though she had told Hermione Granger once and she had just shrugged her off, saying that Snape picked on everyone. Ginny had protested, saying that Snape loathed her but Hermione just shook her head and went back to the book that she'd been reading at the time. Ginny was good friends with Hermione, though sometimes she found that the book loving girl was a little stand offish towards her, as though she knew that she was older and therefore better. Ginny didn't like this trait in Hermione, as she knew that she was a loving and caring person in reality so she chose to ignore the moments when Hermione acted a little differently.

One of the main problems that Ginny had was that no one really listened to what she had to say. She used to try to join in on Ron's conversations with Hermione; it rarely ever worked. He just told her to go and talk to her other friends. The only problem there was that she didn't have many close friends. Only Colin Creevey and sometimes he was a little too much to handle for a long period of time. Especially during Potion's lessons which they usually partnered.  Freezing mid shampoo, Ginny's eyes widened and she chanted suddenly under her breath. "Oh no oh no oh noooo!"  _Potions. _Ginny finished washing her hair and body, turned off the water and jumped out of the shower and went in search of her school uniform.

_Damn Potions! I'm late, I'm late. I've never been late in my life! He's going to _kill _me!_

She was just pulling on her left sock when she looked at the clock and saw that she was already five minutes late for her first lesson of the day. Cursing under her breath she shoved her foot into her shoe and her other hand searched the floor looking for the other one and once she realised it wasn't there, she dove off her bed and stuck her head under the bed, looking for the mate to her shiny black school shoe. She found it and cried out triumphantly, pulling her head out from under the bed and sneezing from the dust that had accumulated there. She grabbed her school bag and shoved in a few books, thinking that they were the ones that she would need for the day. She then grabbed her wand and tore out of the fifth year's dorms, through the Common Room and down the halls of Hogwarts.

It just figured that the dungeons had to be the furthest from the Gryffindor Common Room. She half wished that she didn't stay in bed to wait until her dorm mates had left before she got ready. Maybe she'd get up extra early instead and beat them out of the room. That way she'd have time for breakfast and to get to class on time. As this last thought entered her head, she bit her lip, thinking about how late she must be by now.

She'd just reached the corridor containing her classroom when her bag was ripped from her grasp. She turned around confused, and angry with herself for being late that she wore a scowl on her face as she looked into the cold eyes of Draco Malfoy. Ginny's own eyes widened slightly and she stood stock-still. Hoping against hope that he'd just give her bag back but knowing that it wasn't very likely.

"Weasel." He acknowledged. "Tacky little…bag you've got here. Which brother did this one belong to? The one with the untidy hair?" he sneered and Ginny opened her mouth to comment but stopped herself.

_I seem to remember _your _father having hair right down his back._ She thought as she looked at the pale Slytherin, dangling her bag in his grasp. How she wished she could say something smart and nasty to him but she knew she mustn't. Ron had enough troubles with him as it was.

"Can I please have my bag back Draco?" she asked, knowing that it was probably fruitless to even bother asking so nicely.

He looked taken aback for a second and held it out to her, though just as she reached her fingers out for it, he pulled it back and dropped it on the floor, it's contents spilling in every direction. Ginny held back a string of curse words that would make her father blush and knelt down and started to pull everything back towards her.

"My my. What a mess." He said, leaning casually against the wall nearest himself. Ginny clamped her mouth shut so as not to say something that she would surely regret later.

"Shouldn't you be in Charms Malfoy?" A voice behind her said as she put her hand on her Astronomy book. She stood up and was somewhat relieved to see Ron Harry and Hermione standing there, looking menacingly at Malfoy himself.

"Should be, but I'm not."

"Good. Skiving off the whole lesson then?" Ron said hopefully. Though Ginny could tell that he was trying to look tough standing there with his arms folded.

"No, if I did that, you'd be happy and we wouldn't want that now would we?" Draco said, smirking at the three of them and turning to face Ginny again. "See you around…Weasel." He said, tipping an imaginary hat to her and sauntering off around the corner.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief though she was slightly annoyed. She could have handled him herself…though…she mused, what would she have done? Stared mutely at him? She wasn't the person to stand up to some one as important as Malfoy. Important? What was she thinking; he was still as much of a ferret now as he was in his fourth year.

"Thanks you guys." Ginny said, brushing off her skirt and offering a smile of thanks to the three people standing before her.

"No problem. Let us know if he gives you any more trouble ok Ginny?" Ron said, putting on a look that said he could handle him single handedly. Ginny stifled a giggle and nodded.

"He didn't harm you did he Ginny?" Hermione asked, her eyes raking over Ginny, looking for any cuts or bruises.

"No no. I'm perfectly fine." Ginny said, spinning on the spot to show that she was all right. Hermione smiled and nodded her head slightly.

"Well we unlike Malfoy have to be in Charms right about now. Where are you meant to be?" Harry asked, frowning slightly.

Suddenly Ginny grabbed Harry's wristwatch and pulled it towards her eyes and gasped.

"Wait a moment…that time isn't anywhere near the correct time, I'm sure it's not." Harry laughed a moment later and explained that it was the watch he'd been wearing when he'd gone into the lake in his fourth year.

"Harry! I think it's time to get a new watch! It's been two years now." Hermione scolded him though she was shaking her head clearly amused.

Harry just shrugged and lifted his hand for Ginny to pass him, to head towards the dungeon. She waved them goodbye and hurtled the rest of the way down the corridor and skidded to a stop outside the dungeon that Snape taught in.

She crept in quietly and took her seat next to Colin and sighed gently when she had been seated for a few seconds without Snape swooping down on her. However she had relaxed too soon.

"Miss Weasley! How nice of you to join us." Snape said suddenly from in front of her, though he looked far less convincing than his voice had sounded. She groaned inwardly and began to apologise as profusely as she could.

"I'm so very sorry Professor, you see I was interrupt—"

"That is enough, I do not wish to hear about your dismal little social life any more. However, if you are late to one of my lessons again, you shall be serving detention. With me." he added as an after thought, obviously realising that was the actual punishment for the students.

Ginny silently fumed at having been cut off by the Professor. She was always polite to him and always carried out his instructions as best she could. Though she was a little more concerned about her Potions grade this year, as it was her O.W.L. year. She wasn't bad at the class but she still didn't like it much, though she did have to admit that Potions definitely came in handy for the many careers that were offered after Hogwarts. Ginny wasn't sure what she wanted to do, though Astronomy was probably her favourite subject. She'd love to find a new star and have it named after her. _Ginny Star._ She mused as she watched Snape write things down on the board in front of them.

She knew that she'd have to pay far more attention this year though; Snape hated her and was therefore likely to fail her if he could find a way so she would try her hardest not to give him one.

She watched as he turned back around from writing on the board. He folded his arms and with a bored expression on his face spoke in a monotone to the class.

"Right, now listen up you bunch of idiots. I am going to explain this once and once only. The Potion we are about to brew is extremely sensitive to any ingredients added that are not part of its recipe and method. Because this Potion is so sensitive, many different Potions could be created if you make the mistake of letting something slip…if you know what I mean." He said, looking over to the Slytherin side of the room and smiling lightly. "I will not be responsible if any of you make a stupid mistake as I have warned you and now you take it upon yourselves to complete this potion. Begin." He said, swishing his robes around him and disappearing into his office seconds later.

Ginny stared at Colin who shrugged and stood up to collect the ingredients. She really needed to stay awake now, the way Snape was talking, it was a matter of life or death if they messed up and knowing him, he'd stand by and watch, as they died a slow horrible death. Ginny shook her head of these morbid thoughts and how true they probably were and pulled Colin's cauldron towards her as she'd left hers in her room and started to read the instructions on the board and she started to mash the Stink Beetles they needed into a thick black paste. She pinched her nose as they let out their stench and coughed as Colin sat down.

"Do I smell that bad then huh?" he said, jokingly and she rolled her eyes at him. He set down the rest of their ingredients and they set to work, mashing and cutting and dicing everything they needed.

Once they had reached the crucial point of the Potion, Ginny and Colin turned around to talk to their fellow Gryffindors and were so busy talking that they didn't see Monique Danes sidle up to their Cauldron and 'spill' something into it. Minutes later she was sitting back in her seat, smiling with her friends and watching Ginny with hawklike eyes.

Ginny and Monique had been enemies since Ginny's first year at Hogwarts. She had accidentally knocked over Monique's _Skin Replenishing_ Potion all over her as she had been knocked into the Slytherins table in that very classroom. Ginny had apologised but Monique had been too occupied to say anything to her; she was trying to separate her fingers as the Potion was spreading over them and gluing them together, as though they had never been separate fingers. Ginny had watched in horror as Monique held up two hands or what looked to be hands. (They were now two skin covered mitten-looking things.) "Well," Ginny had said, laughing feebly, "at least you know you made it right; it works." And Monique had given her the nastiest glare she could muster and Ginny had retreated back to her seat very fast indeed.

Monique had had it in for Ginny since then and every so often she would do something to her, just to keep her on her toes. Today, she had decided would be the day that she would administer another 'prank'. She couldn't possibly pass up this opportunity to wreak havoc on Ginny. So she'd taken her _Powdered Unicorn Horn _from her Potions kit (It was sparkly and pretty so she thought she'd put it in Ginny's Potion and maybe it'd make her look halfway decent.)  She was a pure genius, that's what it was. She knew it too. She just couldn't wait until Ginny's Potion was tested and she'd be embarrassed beyond all belief. Everyone would be applauding her, Monique Danes.

"Time to test the Potions!" Snape called loudly, his voice echoing around the dungeon as he had checked all the Potions himself and now he wanted to administer one to an unsuspecting student. His eyes scanned the room and soon fell on the youngest Weasley sibling. He smirked and nodded for her to put some of hers in a vial and step up to the front of the class and to take some of her Potion.

Ginny gulped though she tried not to show that she was nervous but she figured everyone thought that she was, since she wasn't about to answer Snape back and tell him 'No.' so instead she stood up and followed his instructions and walked to the front of the room, her head held high and she sat on a stool that he had conjured there. She opened the bottle and tipped a few drops onto her tongue and looked at the Professor expectantly.

"Now we will see if Miss Weasley here was paying attention." He said and crossed his arms again. Ginny sat perfectly still on her stool while Monique bounced around excitedly in hers, awaiting the verdict.

"Are you, Virginia Molly Weasley?" he asked to snickers throughout the room. Ginny flinched slightly but found that she had to tell the truth to her question.

"Yes, I am." She said, closing her eyes.

"Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?" someone in the back called out, over the Professor's next question.

"No." she said, frowning up to the corner where she could see a group of people laughing heartily. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and sat expectantly again.

"Do you have a secret that you are hiding?" he said smoothly.

"Yes." Ginny answered, thinking of her ordeal in the Chamber of Secrets. It had been kept quiet that she was the one who had been possessed and was opening the chamber, though she had the feeling that was why she had so little friends. They seemed to know more than she did.

"What is it?" Snape asked, looking as though he was enjoying himself now.

"Stop it! You can't ask her that!" came an angry voice from the left of the dungeon. It was Colin and Ginny was pleased to see that he was standing up for her.

"I shall ask what I like." The Potions master replied smoothly, disregarding Colin.

"She deserves her privacy, just like the rest of us do!" he said, and Ginny could see that he was getting annoyed.

"Mr. Creevey, I don't believe it is your business what I teach—"

"That's not teaching, that's invading privacy!" he said, standing up now.

"Detention Mr. Creevey. But why would you stand up for Miss. Weasley here? Do you have something that you would like to tell the class via a Potion?" he asked, waving the vial in the air temptingly.

"No, I don't." he said, sitting down again.

"Just as I suspected. You may go back to your seat now Miss Weasley, it seems as though your Potion has been brewed correctly. However, I award it a 'D'." Snape said, and the Slytherin side of the room let out a noise of approval for their Professor.

"What about an antidote?" Ginny asked him as he made to push her off the stool. Whilst thinking: _You jerk! What did you give us a 'D' for! It was perfect!'_

"The Potion wears off in an hour or so." He said dismissively as he waved her away. Ginny looked sympathetically at Colin to which he frowned and called out to Snape again.

"What'd you give us a 'Dreadful' for?" he said, glaring at the Professor. Snape just smirked and said simply:

"It was the wrong _colour_."

Colin was seething with anger so Ginny put a comforting hand on his shoulder and they packed up their ingredients and cleaned out his cauldron and headed out to Lunch in the Dining Hall.

"So you survived Potion's then?" Ron asked as Ginny sat down at their table with a thud.

"Barely." Was the only word that she supplied to describe her lesson.

"That bad? What happened?" Harry asked sympathetically as he better than anyone could understand what it was like to have Snape pick on you, not that he knew the full extent of it.

"I…he…well…long story that I don't feel much like reliving." Ginny said, smiling weakly and cutting a piece of roast beef and depositing it into her mouth. She watched Ron wrinkle his nose at it and she made a face at him to which he just smiled and continued eating his own food.

"What lesson do you have next?" Hermione asked her as the two boys began to talk about Quidditch. Ginny would have rathered talk to them about the sport than discuss lessons with Hermione but she was the only one ever willing to listen to Ginny's problems so Ginny wasn't about to ignore her, as she herself was so often.

"Care of Magical Creatures. Just what I need…fresh air." She said smiling wistfully through a window at the light blue sky outside.

"It should do you good. I hear you are going to be working with Unicorns today but you didn't hear it from me. Professor Hagrid wanted it to be a surprise but I thought you might like a heads up." Hermione said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

"Thanks, I love working with Unicorns! They're awesome." Ginny said as she continued to eat more of her food.

"I agree, magnificent creatures. They have so many amazing qualities that you wouldn't know they had, just to look at them. I mean look at all the useful things their blood can be used for! And the colour of it, it is truly remarkable."

"You're right. Uh I've got to go, I promised Colin I'd help him out down on the grounds with his camera." Ginny said standing up and saying goodbye to Hermione and the boys, who completely ignored her.

Hermione called to get their attention to say goodbye to Ginny but the time she had, she had already left.

Later that night Ginny sat at a round table in the Common Room trying to complete a chart about Unicorns that Hagrid had assigned them. She knew the answers but wasn't really concentrating on the work at hand. Ron and Hermione were bickering in front of the fire, as they tended to do when Ron was playing Chess instead of working on his homework like he should have been, at least, according to Hermione.

Ron continued playing his game as Hermione was whispering into his ear that he'd fail his sixth year and have to repeat it. He was swishing his hand about in the air, as if to get rid of a fly that was pestering him. Hermione didn't find this amusing at all, though it was apparent that Ron did and he was laughing along with Harry, though Harry's laughs seemed a little forced, as he could see how annoyed Hermione was getting.

Ginny was just settling down to work on her chart again, after watching the two them bantering. She rolled her eyes; surely they could see how they were acting? Apparently not, she thought as Ron stood from the floor and sat next to Hermione on the couch and ruffled her hair.

_Unicorns have how many horns on their heads?_

_Uhm…let me think….one!_

_Unicorns are what colour when they are young?_

_Gold._

_When they are fully-grown, what colour do they keep?_

_Pure—_

"Ginny is there something you'd like to tell me?" came a voice in front of her suddenly and she blotched the word that she'd be about to write. She looked up into the angry eyes of one Ron Weasley.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, nonplussed.

"You know what I mean." He said dangerously.

"No, really, I don't." Ginny said, frowning at her brother. _Git._

"Potions! The 'D' you got today!"

"H-How do you know about that?" Ginny asked, stuttering a little, as she always did when nervous.

"How do I--? I bloody overheard Creevey over there; talking about the 'D' you got today! What'd you do wrong?"

"Me? I didn't do anything wrong!" Ginny said, standing up to look Ron in the face, though she had to look up to look at him at all, he was so tall.

"You must have to have gotten that mark!" Ron said, his ears going red from anger. Ginny was rather mad too and she stood up to her full height and spoke again.

"I don't think you have any room to talk, Ron. Look at the Potions grades _you _get!" Ginny said heatedly. Ron mouthed wordlessly and walked away from her, back over to his place by the fireplace with Hermione and Harry.

Ginny sat back down in her seat with a thump and suddenly came over extremely dizzy. She put a hand to her head and closed her eyes due to the bright lights that seemed to be popping in front of her eyes. Then, quite unexpectedly, a chill ran up and down her spine and she stretched, opening her eyes and suddenly felt very, very different than her usual self.

She still felt dizzy and wasn't aware of what was happening around her until she heard the distant voices of Ron and Hermione bickering. _Again._ She'd had enough this time and was going to do something about it. She stood up and marched over to where they were sitting.

"Would you two _shut up? _Everyone _but _you two knows that you belong together so why don't you stop fighting about nothing, go find a broom closet somewhere and snog each other?" she said, not feeling remotely sorry for her comment. She continued to tell them what she thought and she vaguely thought how good it truly felt to be speaking her mind. "Hermione, for the smartest witch in your year, you aren't too bright are you? You belong with Ron, Merlin forbid. You poor girl. Anyways, you two need to sort out your priorities, everyone is sick of hearing you two yell and bicker. It's getting really old." She finished, nodding to prove her point.

"Ginny, you're way out of line here. This is none of your business and I think that—"

"I never said it was any of my business, I'm just speaking for the rest of Gryffindor tower, right guys?" she said, looking around and she got a few hearty cheers back and some nods from people who looked a little scared of her outburst.

"What, you've never seen anyone have an opinion before?" she said defensively, looking around at the group of people staring at her. "Ergh!" she cried in frustration as she gathered her belongings and headed towards her dormitory.

What she didn't hear were the ominous comments of:

'What's gotten into that girl?"

"Who _is _that girl?"

"Ginny Weasley! She's in my Potions class!"

"Never heard of her…better yet, I don't think I've _seen_ her before today either."

Ron, Harry and Hermione were however, sitting in their seats, completely shocked by what they had just witnessed.

"Did she really just…?" Ron trailed off, looking at Hermione for a split second before blushing brilliantly. Hermione was also busy looking anywhere but at Ron.

"She did. Though it's not important _what _she was talking _about,_ it matters that she actually stood up there and spoke her mind...." Hermione said, a smile lighting up her face. Maybe Ginny had finally decided that she wouldn't be anyone's shadow anymore. If that was the case, then that was excellent.

"You're happy about what she said?" Harry said, looking at the smile on Hermione's face.

"What? No, no you've mistaken the look. I was just thinking about something that Ginny said the other day." She said, waving her hand about dismissively.

"So," Harry said, grinning. "Are you two going to take her advice?"

Another Author's Note: Well there you have it folks. Months in the making and I've finally gotten around to posting it. I was having a bad day and I was trying to think of something that would cheer me up and you know what I came up with? 'Reviews!' Reviews from my lovely reviewers!  Hinty hint hint hint!

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Don't get too excited, the other chapters are yet to be BETAed, so it might take a while as my BETA and I are still at school and have other commitments.

Thanks to everyone who read this!

Nesserz.


	2. Telling Him What For

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, only the plot that I co-share with my BETA, Darkflower2113 =). The characters and company belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

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Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 2 –Telling Him What For

Ginny sat at the Gryffindor dining table by herself, having successfully gotten out of bed on time this morning and was enjoying a piece of toast when Ron sat down in front of her with a thump. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What's up?" she said, smiling at him expectantly when he didn't answer straight away. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow of his own.

"What's…what's up? What the bloody hell do you _think _is up? Last nights display of yours was uncalled for. I can't believe you embarrassed me and Hermione like that, in front of the whole Common Room." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't impressed and Ginny could see that though she didn't have the faintest idea what he was even talking about.

"Ron…I really can't help you, I've got no idea—"

"Damn right you've got no idea. You're my little sister Ginny and I care about you a whole lot, I just can't believe you did that to me. You were wrong too, I might mention." He said, his ears tingeing red.

Ginny sat still; perplexed as she didn't have the faintest idea what he was rambling on about. He looked very upset by it though. She wished she knew…wait a moment. He was joking with her. It figured he'd do something like that, try to confuse her and she'd get upset. Well it wasn't going to work.

"Oh very funny Ron." She said sarcastically, though quietly, she didn't want to draw attention to the fact that Ron had almost tricked her into being embarrassed.

"What? No it's not…what are you on about?"

"What am _I_ on about? What are _you_ on about?" she asked, confused again. He seemed to be telling the truth, that he didn't know what she was talking about. This was very confusing indeed.

"Last night…" he said frowning at her, concerned. How couldn't she remember last night? It wasn't possible; she'd acted so strangely. Not at all like herself.

Ginny in turn frowned and repeated what he'd said. He just frowned more and stood up suddenly.

"Fine." He says, staring at her. "Fine, if you're going to pretend it never happened then maybe that's the best thing." Ron walked off then, to Hermione and Harry who were standing at the entrance to the breakfast hall waiting for him. Hermione looked at Ginny quizzically and Ginny shrugged to her and she turned and walked out of sight. Ginny sat, dumbstruck and shrugged, biting once more into her piece of toast.

Ginny walked to Transfiguration on her own, not that she minded. She liked this class and always liked walking there. The corridors were light and bright up here, she looked through their arches out onto the Hogwarts grounds. It was a perfect day, blue sky, and puffy white clouds circling above. How Ginny wished she could be out on a broom right about now but she sighed, heading instead through the Transfiguration classroom door. She sat down in her usual seat and pulled out her books, and sighing again when she saw that they had a relief teacher. Wait a moment, a relief, at Hogwarts? She looked up at the teacher taking McGonagall's place and was shocked to see Professor Binns there instead. She smiled slightly and leant her head on her stack of books in front of her as he started to lecture about the history of Transfiguration. Dimly she wondered how he could make this lesson boring, though she supposed, it was just his way.

She listened to him for a few moments before she landed in a stupor, thinking about how funny he looked floating ominously in the air reading from a heavy textbook that was as translucent as he was. Her mind drifted in and out of what he was saying though she found herself wishing once again that she were out on the grounds. She imagined herself up on a broom, circling the goal posts and throwing the Quaffle through the hoops of the opposing team. She shot, she scored. She suddenly came out of her sleepy state with a jerk, she'd been holding her head up with her hand and it had slipped. She looked around discreetly, checking to see if anyone had seen her. It looked as though they hadn't until she locked eyes with Colin who wiped the corner of his mouth, indicating that she had been drooling. She immediately wiped at her mouth and found nothing there. She mouthed 'Funny Colin' across the classroom and he smiled crookedly.

She was left then to think about Colin and his behaviour towards her. He was a nice boy. He'd helped her out of various situations before and she was thankful for that, though she wasn't sure whether she'd ever really thanked him. She made a mental note to do so one day. Her thoughts drifted more and more, coming to rest on Hermione, Ron and Harry. Ron, what _had _he been talking about earlier that morning? He really wasn't making any sense. She shrugged it off again, deciding to just forget about it, he wasn't going to tell her any more than he already had.

The lesson ended forty-five minutes later and Ginny realised with dread that it meant time for Potions again, this time only a short lesson which she was thankful for. She gathered her things and this time walked to class with Colin who chattered in her ear about the picture album he'd been preparing for his parents wedding anniversary. Ginny nodded, smiling but not listening that closely to him for she had just seen Ron, Harry and Hermione walking across the grounds.

Ron and Hermione were carefully avoiding each other and Harry was walking between them, ignoring their behaviour pointedly. She wondered how he coped sometimes with them acting like that. She knew she wouldn't, though she'd never say anything about it, it would be too far out of line. Un called for…un...called…for. Had she said something about their relationship? She hoped not…no, she couldn't have, she'd have known if she'd been so rude.

Ron caught her eye and turned away pointedly and with a pang she looked at Harry who shrugged and smiled, giving her the impression not to worry about what was going on. She shook her head and tuned back into the one sided conversation that Colin was having with her.

"It sounds lovely Colin." She said, smiling grimly and pushing open the door to the dark classroom.

"How lovely for you to join us Miss Weasley, Mr. Creevey." Snape's voice came from the shadows. Ginny frowned slightly.

_There he goes again. _She thought, not showing any emotion on her face.

"Good day Professor." Ginny said, a neutral expression on her face.

"Where's the good in it Miss Weasley? It surely is not good for you. That Potion you made yesterday is still fouling up this classroom." He said, smirking down at the two of them.

Ginny could feel Colin shaking slightly with anger. He really didn't like her to be bullied like this. She would point out that it wasn't only her receiving the nasty treatment but she didn't think that it would go down too well. He reminded her forcibly of one of her brothers for a few seconds, so protective. She smiled; it was nice to know that she was cared about. Maybe not as much as she'd like and maybe not by the people that she wanted, but cared about all the same.

Ginny said nothing but just let the Potions teacher stare down his hooked nose at them until he was satisfied. Which she mused, took much too long to happen. She shuddered slightly, not liking being stared at by him for such a long period of time. Colin shared her views and scrawled 'Git' on a piece of scrap parchment and she wrote that she agreed and that he should be put under lock and key. Ginny didn't like to admit it, but she was extremely angry. She liked to keep her cool around the Potions class so that she wouldn't do something she regretted but she found that she was only a second or so away from a melt down. If he spoke to her one more time…

"Weasley! Get over here and clean up this mess!" Snape called to her from the other side of the room. She rolled her eyes and stood but fell back into her chair as she came over dizzy. Her eyes closed involuntarily and she recalled feeling like this once before as lights popped in front of her eyes. She opened them again and frowned and walked over to the Potions teacher.

"Pathetic lonely git." Ginny muttered, however Snape heard snippets of her comment and spoke to her about it.

 "Excuse me?"  Snape asked, looking at her nastily, thinking that he could scare her into being quiet. How wrong he was.

"You heard me." Ginny replied, pointing her wand at the mess on the floor that she suspected the teacher had created on purpose.

"Would you care to repeat what you said?" he asked, smirking though not as prominently as usual.

"What, so you're deaf in your old age now too? Do I have to spell it out for you? You are a greasy git with no social upbringing whatsoever; you take pleasure in picking on your students just because they don't like you and you wonder why that is. Well I'm here to tell you that I've had enough of you treating me like nothing."

Ginny looked on in satisfaction to see her teacher's eyes widen in shock. He didn't seem capable of speech at that present moment though it looked as though the wheels were turning fast in his head, thinking of a suitable punishment for the way she was behaving. She found that she didn't care in the least. She felt as though she was doing all the other students that he picked on justice. Helping them somehow. 

She concentrated on the mess and lifted it into the air with a simple '_Wingardium Leviosa' _and dumped the whole lot on his desk. He jumped out of the way of the slime that was now eating away at his desk.

"Oops." Ginny said in a fake giggly voice. She was enjoying herself now.

"Get out." Snape said in a voice that looked as though was giving him great pain to keep controlled.

"Now why would I do that?" Ginny asked, looking at him with round eyes. He just narrowed his and shook his hair out of his eyes.

"Oh yes, about _that_ she said referring to his oily mop of hair. "I'm sure that if you washed it once a year or so it wouldn't look nearly as bad. It's called personal hygiene. You could do with some. I'll even lend you soap if you like. You do know what that is don't you?" she asked, biting her lip to stop from laughing.

"Detention." He said acidly, looking very much as though he wanted to put his hands around her neck and squeeze tightly. Ginny just laughed airily.

"Oh no, I don't think so. I don't fancy sitting in a room with you any longer than I have too. Especially not alone." She said, wrinkling her nose.

"Miss Weasley, if you do not behave yourself at once I shall be forced to call upon—"

"Oh dear lord. Hasn't anyone told you that sallowed pale skin is out this year? As it was the year before that and the five years before that?" she asked and this time he cracked.

"Out! Get OUT! NOW!"

"Well if you're going to be like that, then fine! I'm going!" she said, grabbing her bag and leaving the room.

"Meet me in Detention tonight, eight o'clock tonight." Snape said, ignoring her earlier declining comments.

"I told you before I will not—" Ginny stopped midsentence, dizzy once again though this time it passed quickly and she found herself standing in the middle of the Potions classroom with her bag on her shoulder and her index finger pointing menacingly at Snape. She dropped it immediately and stared around her, noticing that every face was turned to hers and she blushed brilliantly.

"Er…bye!" she said fleeing the room, incredibly embarrassed.

After the disastrous scene in Potions Ginny had fled and found herself on the grounds, sitting on the edge of the lake by herself as usual. She looked down into the water at her reflection and studied herself. She could tell by looking at the freckled face that she wasn't the type to yell at a teacher for no good reason. At least that's what she figured had happened, she hadn't stayed long enough to find out what had really happened. She huffed out a breath and poked a stick into the water, disrupting the reflection. Though soon there was another reflection there, a dark haired one.

"Harry!" she said turning around, surprised that she hadn't heard him coming.

"Hey." He said dropping down next to her.

"Hi…what brings you out here?" she asked him, settling down again.

"I could ask you the same question." He said waggling his eyebrows and she smiled grimly. "Since when do you skive off lessons?"

"Snape." She said wearily.

"Oh. What happened?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask, I wouldn't have a clue." She said sighing and looking at him for an explanation of his presence.

"Trelawney kicked me out." He said with a laugh, obviously not caring at all about being dismissed early.

"What did you do?" Ginny asked tracing patterns in the water with the stick now.

"Fell asleep." He muttered and they both laughed at this.

"I suppose she took it as a personal insult." Ginny mused and Harry nodded.

"Probably. Well she told me to get out…so I did. Literally. I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. Didn't think the loony old bat would do it though. She's threatened me and Ron before but I guess this time it really ticked her off." He added as an after thought, still laughing at his teacher.

"So Snape gives you troubles?" Harry asked a few minutes later, his eyes darkening slightly.

"Yes, but he does to everyone so it doesn't matter." Ginny said quietly, tossing a stone into the lake.

"Of course it matters. I don't trust him. I really don't." he said, tossing out a stone himself and it skipped across the water before sinking with a 'plunk'.

"I agree with you. Ron's mentioned his dislike for you." Ginny said as Harry looked at his, eyes widening.

"Dislike? It's more like loathing, which I share just as equally for him." Harry said laughing though he didn't sound remotely amused.

"I wonder why he's like that though? It doesn't make any sense. I didn't do anything to deserve this. I'm sure you didn't either." She added quickly and Harry nodded.

"No, I didn't do anything either, for me it's just because I'm James Potter's son. I exist. That's why he baits _me." _Harry said, casting a dark look across the lake.

"I just wish he'd find someone else to pick on!" Ginny said angrily surprising herself at the bitterness in her voice. Harry looked at her and nodded. She fought down a blush. She didn't mean to sound so angry.

"I know exactly how you feel." He said frowning.

Ginny sighed and threw a rock again and it made it to the other side of the lake and hit the bank with a thud and tumbled down into the water. The two acquaintances sat in silence for a few minutes, taking it in turns to hurl rocks into the water. They were silently competing with each other, trying to out skip the other. Ginny had just thrown a rock a metre further that Harry's when he spoke.

"You know Gin…if you ever want to talk about anything… you can come to me." he said, sounding awkward and not sure at all if he should be offering this comfort. Ginny was flattered and looked away for a moment before turning back to her brothers' friend and nodding politely.

"Thank you Harry. I might just do that." She said staring out across the lake.

Harry could never know how much his pieced together sentence could mean to her. He'd just offered her something that not many people had ever offered, a listening ear. Though she mused, he probably didn't mean for her to search him out and talk to him, not in front of his friends especially. She wouldn't embarrass him like that anyway. He was much too nice to be bothered by her. He probably felt obligated to offer this to her and she fought back the tears, hoping that she was wrong, and that he really did want to talk to her and spend time together.

Harry turned to talk to Ginny again and realised with alarm that she was on the verge of tears and he snapped his head forward again. What did he do to deserve this? He didn't know how to handle crying girls! First Cho and now Ginny (on the odd occasion, Hermione too). Though, he knew that Ginny was very different from Cho but that didn't make it easier to approach her now. He cleared his throat, startling her and she looked to him, holding back her tears.

"Er…Ginny, are you ok? I'm sorry if I offended you, I didn't mean…ugh. Sorry?" he asked, smiling apologetically at her.

"It's alright! I'm fine. Just thinking about things." _How lame can you get Ginny? _She scolded herself inwardly, not telling him the real reason for her change in mood. She didn't want to look stupid in front of him by telling him she was just happy that she may have found another friend. She'd been able to talk to Harry for over a year now without stuttering in his presence, she didn't want to ruin things now when he was suddenly taking an interest, even if it was a small interest.

Harry sat still next to Ginny. He wasn't game enough to talk again, just incase her tears spilled over. She claimed that she was fine but he wasn't so sure. He felt slightly bad, He'd never payed that much attention to little Ginny Weasley. _No _he admonished himself, she wasn't little anymore. She was sixteen, she was a valuable asset. She'd helped in her own way when the War had finally broken out over the summer. She'd help nurse the injured and had been there to help him too, after the final battle between himself and Voldemort. The thing that he didn't understand was that she had become shyer than before. He suspected that she was still feeling the effects of the war.

"Ginny…" he said suddenly, not meaning too. She looked at him and gave him a questioning look. "Do you think about the summer much?" he asked her, plucking a stand of grass from the ground and shredding it with his fingers. He watched as she did the same.

"Sometimes. Though I wish I didn't dream about it." She said and her eyes widened and he instantly knew that she hadn't meant to say the second part of her comment out loud.

"You…dream about it? What do you see?" he asked her because at the time of the war he'd been in a remote room of the castle fighting Voldemort when the students of the school had been trying to fight off his Death Eaters.

"I see…everyone I know, fighting their own Death Eater. I see Ron throwing hex after hex at his Death Eater, becoming tired, though the Death Eater is showing no signs of relenting on his own curses. I see Hermione flatten two at once with some spell I've never heard of before. I see Neville trip one of them over by accident and he knocks him unconscious…" Ginny said smiling slightly and she snapped out of her daydream and looked at Harry and spoked again. "Why do you ask?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I just…I never saw any of that. I never saw them get hurt, you did. No one's ever told me more than I knew myself. I just wanted to know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that." He said shaking his head, shocked at himself for even daring to ask.

"It's fine. They're all ok. We're lucky we didn't lose anyone we cared for this time. It could have been so much worse. It's in the past now." She said tucking her legs under her. Harry nodded and stood, holding a hand out to her, which she grabbed and they headed back to the castle together for Lunch. Ginny wondering what would meet her when she arrived in the Dining Hall. Harry walked next to her in silence, deciding that he wanted to get to know Ginny better and help her to come out of her shell once more, to help her forget about the past, to find the girl that he had met briefly in his fifth year.

"Ginny!" Colin Creevey careened around the corner of the Dining Hall and his eyes searched the Gryffindor table for the youngest Weasley and he saw her sitting between her brother and Harry.

"Ginny!" he said sitting down opposite her, next to Hermione who started slightly as she was deeply involved in a book. "What you did back there…it was…amazing!" he said, awestruck. Ginny looked left and right and smiled nervously. "Snape was livid after you left. It was priceless!"

Ginny looked at him but had no clue what he was talking about. She knew she'd done something in the Potions class and apparently Colin was trying to talk to her about it, though what _it_ was, she had no idea. She just smiled politely and ate her lunch slowly and surely so that she wouldn't have to answer him any time soon. She prayed that Colin would get the hint and go away before Ron started asking questions.

"What'd she do?" Ron asked, his fork stationary on the way to his mouth.

_Too late._ She thought grimly. _Though,_ she mused, _it would help to know what's going on._

"Tell them Ginny!" Colin said excitedly and Ginny looked around wildly.

"No, you can Colin." She said and Colin grinned and launched into the story of her having told Snape what the rest of them dreamed about telling him. Harry looked bemused, Ron looked shocked and Hermione put down her book and listened intently.

"Really?" Ron asked, looking slightly put out. "Wish I'd been there." He added a moment later, eating the food on his fork.

Harry just looked at Ginny and shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me that when we were outside? That's great Ginny." He said smiling encouragingly.

"I didn't do that. Colin's lying! That isn't funny Colin. Why would I do something like that?" Ginny asked, annoyed.

"What? Of course you did it, ask anyone in the class! You told Snape what for!"

"I hate him but I'd never say so!" Ginny said and she stood up and left the Dining Hall in a huff.

The four Gryffindor students looked at each other and Colin just stared after Ginny.

"You know, that's the second time in two days that she's denied doing something that we very well know she's done anyway." Ron said looking suspicious. "I wonder what's gotten into her."

"What does it matter? She's finally getting a chance to speak her mind, something that's she's never been able to do before." Hermione said, looking after Ginny fondly.

A/N: Hey guys. I hope you liked that one. Plenty more to come I promise you. =).

To my reviewers!

**MilesFromNormal **You bet I'm back. It's been to long I tell you, just far too long. Not that I exactly have a whole lot of free time to do this in but hey, I can't deny my reviewers. Did that sound conceited? It wasn't meant too! I promise lol. I'm glad that you are enjoying this story so far, I hope chapter two was as enjoyable as one. Just to clear up for everyone: **Yes I do know that Ginny's real name is Ginevra. I wrote this story before J.K. announced it on her site so I hope that I am forgiven for my little mishap.  **So that's that sorted.

**LauraKay **and you shall have more lol. =)

**LiZzIe-WeAsLey **Oh I hear you! I'm a major R/H shipper too since I've just seen PoA a few more times. I absolutely love the Shrieking Shack scene (the one that is before Draco getting his Slytherin butt kicked by an 'invisible' force. Woot! Go the golden Trio. (Don't get me wrong, Draco rocks too ; -)) Ron's yours? But -but…who's Hermione going to end up with?! Noo!!! Though I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing him since they are both too thick to notice one another lol.

**MyOwnLittleWorld **Glad you liked it. I loved writing the first chapter. How was Cali? I bet it was fantastic. Sigh wish I could say that I'd been there. Though I'm about to watch the O.C. which is based there so I'm kinda there…in spirit lol. I'm so sad. Sorry I've taken so long to update, wanted to milk my reviews for all they were worth. rubs hands together Just kidding everyone! Huggles Hannah! And once again, thanks for your great reviews. (I'd just like to take this moment to say that I now use 'huggles' in everyday language! Don't you feel special that you are influencing people!?)

**Luvhp224 **Yeah, that disease of mine is a real pain in the you know what. I don't deny that I suffer from it. You are right but I'm afraid that it's something we'll all have to get used to because since you pointed it out, I've noticed that I do it a lot, in all my stories. That will just have to be the way that people determine my stories. See! There's a positive side to my disease! Lol. But seriously, thanks I appreciate your honesty even if it was a little blunt and shocking. Sede mentioned that you are taking a break from Heartbreak Home. Personally I think it's a great story and I'm glad that I get to read it before everyone else!

**Darkflower2113 **Doing quite well aren't we? Lol. If you ever want to add something in here, let me know! Lol.

**JamieBell **I agree with you about Harry's comment. It seemed the perfect way to end the chapter. I love adding Harry comments in here and there. That and the fact that you are so right about yelling till your heart is content. I've been doing that lately and even though I've upset a couple of people; it's made me feel better. I'm starting to sound like a real tyrant with comments like this…Oops. Lol. Keep reading and enjoying!

**Jenny **I have to agree with you there. I really couldn't see Ginny and Draco together, unless she was put under the Imperious Curse or something…woah, just came up with an idea there. That rarely happens. Feel free to use and abuse it anyone! (Sorry if anyone has used that before, it just came to me and I've never seen a story like it before.)

**AngieGS **Ah you got me. You make me look bad Angie! Right on both accounts. Ginny probably is a bit timid but she needed to be for the story to work so yeah she is sort of out of character but if she was then it wouldn't be much of a change for when she's…well you'll see. =) As for Ron, I don't have an explanation for that I'm sorry. Though in a way I think Ron is pretty protective of Ginny and he might care about her grades just a little bit more than his own. For, the way I see it, he is supposed to be looking after Ginny and Mrs. Weasley will blame him if she does badly at Hogwarts! Ha there we go, I made an explanation. I hope it computes.

**A Harry and Ginny Dreamer **Hey thanks! Much appreciated, I'm still waiting on those 'tonnes' of reviews lol.

**Swishy Willow Wand **Glad you thought it was funny. I assure you there are more funny moments to come!

**Sorrowful Rain **Snape is most definitely evil but I don't think I portray him nearly as well as some people do but I try. =)

**Rayah Papaya **Yes, Ginny is in her 5th year. I wish I could stand up for myself like she does. Go the girl power!

And that is all from me this time around folks! Hope tis up to standard! See you soon.

Nesserz. =)


	3. Quidditch Revelations

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Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 3–Quidditch Revelations

Ginny walked down to the Quidditch pitch, her broom slung over her shoulder. The weather was perfect for them to practice in. She entered the change rooms and greeted the other players.

Harry was adjusting his robes, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles on them and Ron was laughing and pointing at him.

"Look at you mister cap-i-tan." He said in a strange accent. Harry had been made captain of the Gryffindor team that year and he took his job seriously though thankfully, he didn't take it nearly as seriously as Angelina and Oliver had. Ginny was glad that she hadn't had Oliver as a captain. Angelina was bad enough for a few months back in her fourth year.

Harry liked them all to enjoy themselves; he'd said that he thought that was the best way to conduct a team. Ron had snorted when he'd said this and the team had shot into the air on Ron's orders had started to behave disruptively. Harry had called them back down again and told them never to take orders from Ron again and they'd laughed together and finally had a proper practice.

Ginny had stayed on the team since they'd needed all new Chasers the next year and Harry told her that he wouldn't drop her under any circumstances so she'd stayed on the team. She was glad because she didn't really want to have to try out for the team again; it had been nerve wracking enough the year before.

They'd held tryouts every night for a whole week whilst Harry tried to put together a team. He'd asked her and Ron's opinions and they'd successfully put together a tight knit team that worked effortlessly as one.

Today the team was laughing together about some private joke and Ginny tried to listen, to guess what they were talking about but no one seemed to want to clue her in. She shrugged, not concerned and headed around behind the lockers to change. She was the only fifth year on the team now, which was sometimes a little lonely.

The team this year comprised of Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, Amanda Scott, Sandy Peterman, Harry, Ron and of course Ginny. She'd been surprised when Dean and Seamus had turned up for tryouts. She didn't think that they were interested in playing for the team, they hadn't shown an interest before now. Dean had said that he'd played softball, or something of the sort, before he came to Hogwarts and that he was an excellent 'Batter' so was a natural at hitting the bludgers at the opposing team. Seamus however, wasn't as good at aiming at players, in fact his aim was pretty poor but he could still hit the bludgers very well. Sandy and Amanda, the other two Chasers were sixth years that Ginny didn't know very well. They were exceptional players and were best friends so they stuck to themselves and didn't usually include Ginny in what they were talking about. That was fine with her; she'd rather play the game than giggle at how 'cute' Harry and Ron were.

"Right. Let's go. Sandy, Ron can you two grab the balls for me? Thanks." Harry said without waiting for an answer from Ron because he was likely to get a sarcastic one. They grabbed the Quidditch balls, Sandy stifling her giggles so that she could have a conversation with Ron, who was barely listening as he'd just noticed Hermione sitting in the stands with Hagrid, apparently there to watch them practice.

The team practised for an hour and a half, beating the Quaffle about amongst themselves, Harry and Ginny racing each other several times for the Snitch. Ron, defending his hoops though he strayed from them a lot and ended up playing Chaser for the most part. Ginny sat stationary in the air, watching everyone enjoying himself or herself thinking that had Oliver been there he probably would have had a minor heart attack. She watched Harry and Ron fight each other for the Quaffle, and smiled to herself and descended, knowing that practice was over; they hadn't done drills for over half an hour now. She didn't mind, as she didn't often join in anyway. Which made her wonder why Harry kept her on the team. She mostly hung in the air though she helped out when she was needed. Harry must have had his reasons though or she wouldn't have still been on the team. _Probably just feels sorry for me._ She'd thought more than once.

She changed in the team's rooms then emerged and walked over to Hermione and Hagrid who were watching the blurred red and gold people zooming about the air.

"Hello there Ginny." Hermione said frowning as Ron nearly fell from his broom because Harry had flown up behind him and scared him. "I can't believe how much they muck around during practice. It's a wonder you ever manage to win a match!" she said, shaking her head.

Ginny nodded though she didn't really agree but didn't feel that it was her place to argue, though she knew deep down that it was. Hermione just didn't understand Quidditch. It wasn't always about winning, no matter what Ron said, they had to have fun, to take things as they came. If they didn't have fun, then they weren't likely to win any games. There was logic to it all, even if Hermione couldn't see it.

"I'm going back up to the castle." Ginny said, picking up her broom from beside her. "Tell Harry will you? Thanks." She said as Hermione nodded and turned her attention back to the sky.

Ginny sat on the couch in the Common Room two hours later reading a book when Harry sat next to her.

"I've been looking for you all over the place." He said smiling at her.

"I've been sitting here for over an hour." She said, turning the page.

"Er…right. So anyway, you left early and I didn't get a chance to tell you. We're playing Ravenclaw tomorrow." He said, scratching his neck.

"What? But we're not supposed to be—"

"I know, I know. Slytherin pulled out for some reason and we have to take their place, you know how it goes. Anyway, we're playing them at ten tomorrow. Be there ok?" he said and stood up again to go back to Ron and Hermione, who Ginny noticed, were being particularly civil to each other, whilst they darted looks to her every now and then.

"Sure." She muttered, going back to her book.

Soon after Ginny stood to go to bed, thinking that she should get a good night's sleep if she had to be up tomorrow to play Quidditch. She climbed into bed ten minutes later and rolled over and fell asleep almost instantly.

That night she dreamt about the coming Quidditch match. Gryffindor lost, 2,000 to 0. It was an awful score and everyone was looking at her for an explanation of their loss. She knew they all blamed her but they wouldn't say so. She felt awful. She was pleading with Ron and Harry to forgive her awful playing, that she knew it was all her fault that they had no chance at winning the Quidditch Cup now. Her fault.

She awoke with a start and looked at the clock and saw that it read nine thirty. Not a problem, it was Saturday she could sleep in. The only days that she couldn't were days that they had a game that started at ten. Sitting up suddenly she realised that they did in fact have a game. She cursed inwardly and grabbed her playing robes from the end of her bed and struggled to pull them on.

This is why I need a friend in this dorm, someone to wake me up when I sleep in. Which, is only twice a year. On the days when I can't afford too!

She ran from the room, and arrived at the pitch in record time. She walked in on the rest of the team sitting patiently, apparently waiting for her. Or so she thought.

"Oh Ginny, hey. I didn't even realise you weren't here." Harry said, going over his charts. Ginny sat down and tried to catch her breath before they'd go out to test the pitch conditions. Once she had, they went out as a group and were met by a few whistles from the crowd. Ginny looked up into the stands and grinned. This was what she loved about playing, seeing all those people turn up to watch them participate. She located Hermione and waved to her and Hermione smiled and waved back and rolled her eyes at Ron who was hanging casually on his broom, which was hovering a few feet from the ground. Ginny just grinned at her and shrugged, and mimed pushing him off.

Ginny stood quietly by the edge of the pitch, watching as everyone got into the spirit of another Quidditch match. She could see Luna Lovegood sitting across the pitch with her Lion perched on her head. She smiled, Luna wore the thing to every match that Gryffindor played in. It was sweet of her to support the team so well. People had stopped laughing at it a long time ago and now they were often to be found roaring along with it, laughing themselves silly.

"Hey Weasel. Going to _do _anything today?" a voice called nastily from behind her. Ginny bristled, she knew who that voice belonged too.

_Malfoy. _She thought with distaste. _Doesn't he have anything better to do? _

"I know you can hear me." he said in a singsong voice.

_Ignore him. _Said a voice in her head, which sounded suspiciously like Hermione's. She grinned but didn't say anything to Malfoy.

"Yeah Weasley, are you going to _touch _the Quaffle today. You should be able to see it, it's the same colour as your ugly hair." Came a different voice, this one belonging to Pansy Parkinson.

_Look who's talking. You ugly pug faced—_

"It's very rude not to face a person when they are talking to you Virginia, has no one taught you any manners. Then again, I suppose not, living with Weasel it makes sense." Malfoy said, sending Pansy into a fit of laughter, which to Ginny, sounded like a dog being forced into a kennel that it didn't like.

Madam Hooch's whistle blew at the same moment that Ginny began to feel dizzy, she was about to tell someone about the feeling and the popping of colour behind her eyelids but it ended and she felt perfectly fine. Angry, but fine. She kicked off from the ground making sure to splatter Malfoy and Pansy with mud from a fresh puddle from the rain the night before as she flew into the air. She heard Pansy shriek with indignation as she joined the rest of her teammates in the air.

Harry grinned, giving her the thumbs up and pointing to Malfoy who was wiping mud from his robes. Ginny just smirked and winked at Harry whose smile slipped from his face but he nervously put it back smiling gently.

Sandy grabbed the Quaffle from the air and the game began. Instead of staying motionless in the air, Ginny flew alongside her and was there to grab it when Sandy was attacked from behind by a Ravenclaw Chaser. Ginny flew as fast as she could towards the Ravenclaw goals and shot the Quaffle towards the middle hoop and the Keeper ducked, in fear of having his head knocked off and the Quaffle soared through the middle hoop without touching it at all.

She cheered along with the rest of the crowd as the Keeper went to fetch the ball from behind the goals. He threw it to the other end of the pitch and Ginny scowled at him.

"Thanks for that." She said sarcastically as she sped back down to the other end. Sandy was in possession of the Quaffle again but had it ripped from her grasp by a dark haired boy who was heading for Ron. Ginny flew up above him and dropped right in front of him and she surprised him so much that he dropped the Quaffle in fright and she flew down and grabbed it.

"Thanks!" she said, hitting it with all her might to Amanda, who shot it through the goal, earning them another ten points.

She watched as Harry flew around above all of them, looking for the Snitch. Ravenclaw's Seeker, Cho Chang was watching Harry with contempt, as though if she didn't win, it'd be on his head. Harry wasn't even paying her any attention; he was watching his team playing down below him. As she sat still she realised that the commentator, Dennis Creevey, was saying her name.

"Young Ginny Weasley is showing her true colours today! This is the most action I've seen from her in any of the games she's played in. Cheer on Keeper Weasley's sister everyone!" he finished, and the crowd cheered.

Ginny shot Dennis a nasty look. So she was only known as Ron's sister was she? She'd show them. She took off again and stole the Quaffle right out of the dark haired boys hands. His comment was a hurried 'Hey!' before he put on a burst of speed and followed her down the pitch. She decided to have some fun and flew all over the pitch, changing directions all the time, confusing the boy very much. In the end he dropped back and she scored twice in ten seconds.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny was getting a little tired and decided to take a rest down near the ground so that she could grab the falling Quaffle if need be. She was minding her own business, breathing hard when Malfoy made another crude comment.

"Hello in there, is that you Wood? It can't be Weasley because she can't play, she's the worst player I've ever seen and you however, are halfway decent, so please show yourself." He said and Ginny glared at him and was about to say something but saw the Quaffle fall through the air a few metres away. She flew over to grab it and was about to throw it up to Amanda when Malfoy spoke again.

"I'm surprised she knows which end is the tail." He said referring to Ginny's slightly battered broom to Pansy who shrieked with laughter again.

Ginny froze mid throw and turned around, pulled her arm back and released the Quaffle with as much strength as she possessed and it hurtled through the air and hit Malfoy on his pointed little face. She whooped for joy when it made contact and she glared at the people that were staring at her.

"Are you telling me," she yelled so that many of them could hear her, "that you've never wanted to do that to him?" she asked incredulously.

Turning to Malfoy who was now sporting a steadily bleeding nose she said, "You know, it's really pathetic that you have to pick on a female a year younger than you to make yourself feel better. Do us all a favour and find yourself a new hobby." She said, returning to playing height, to the cheers of the Gryffindors.

"What can I say? All in a days work!" she said laughing and tearing down the pitch again.

Harry watched Ginny go and he looked at Ron to see his reaction, only to see his friend staring at the ground where Malfoy sat in the stands, trying to stem the flow of his nose with a rather pleased look on his face. Ron looked up again and caught Harry's eye and shrugged, indicating that it wasn't normal for Ginny to do things like this. Harry wondered what had gotten into her but he knew that it was something good, if only she'd play like this all the time! They'd needed this from her before yet she'd held back. He'd have to tell her how proud of her he was. As he was sitting there stationary on his broom, he caught a glint of light and noticed the Snitch fluttering near the middle of the pitch.

Ginny having just scored yet another goal suddenly noticed Harry hurtling towards a shiny spot near the floor of the pitch. She looked around and found Cho heading in the same direction. Ginny flew towards her and cut her off.

"Nice day." She said as Cho pulled up to a stop.

"Get out of the way!" she said, trying to edge by Ginny who matched her move for move.

"Good game don't you think?"

"No I don't. Would you just---argh!" Cho cried, frustrated. Ginny didn't need to turn around to see what this reaction meant, the crowds' enthusiastic cheers told her the whole story; Harry had caught the Snitch.

"Nice talking to you Cho." Ginny said, flying down to join her team on the ground and being flattened onto the ground. She laughed heartily and pushed them all from her. Harry however was lying on top of her and he flushed lightly and stood up, pulling her with him and made to let go of her but she seized him by the wrist.

"Great game." She said breathing heavily.

"Sure was. Thanks for that little diversion." He said, grinning happily at her.

"No problem. Had to be done you see." She said, looking him right in the face, matching his grin. "I've never had that much fun playing Quidditch before. I should do it more often." She said laughing.

"I know! What happened to you out there? It was amazing!" Harry said, now relaxing in her grip.

"I don't know but we won!" she said, tackling him in a hug and Harry laughed, swinging her around. Soon realising that people surrounded them he put her back on the ground and she smiled at him, her hair flying out behind her and coming to rest on her left shoulder. She flicked it back behind her and she was pulled away from Harry a moment later.

"Ginny you were brilliant!" Sandy said as she hugged her and Amanda nodded vigorously from next to her.

"Where'd you learn to play like that?! Why didn't you tell us you _could_ play like that?" Amanda asked, seeming to take it as an insult.

"My little secret?" Ginny said laughing with them. She snuck a look at Harry and saw that he was watching her with studying eyes. She grinned at him and winked again, making him blush.

Ron grabbed her next and gave her a high five. "Excellent playing Ginny! Though I'm beginning to wonder if Malfoy was right, are you sure it's you in there, since when can you play like that?"

Ginny glared at him and answered, a hand on her hip. "Since always Ron, but you wouldn't know that would you? You don't take any notice of what I do. You're always too busy with Harry and Hermione, your friends. I'm just your sister, I shouldn't expect any of your time." She said, storming off towards the change rooms. Ron and Harry standing staring at her open mouthed.

"She's right you know." Harry said quietly as Ron stood staring around him.

"Yeah," he said sighing. "I'm right awful to her. I've just never really noticed, she never said anything before."

"Well I think she's going to say what she thinks from now on. She's changed." Harry said, not sure which Ginny he liked better.

"Yeah…I've got to go talk to her. I'll catch you up later." He said as he sprinted off to the Change Rooms.

Ginny slid down the wall in the Change Rooms, thinking about what Ron had said. She's always been able to play like that. It just figured that he didn't know that. She threw her shoe at the lockers opposite her and she heard someone say 'Ouch!' She sat up and saw Ron stick his head around the corner. She rolled her eyes.

"Get lost Ron." She said, standing and turning her back on him.

"Just…hear me out." He said, holding up his hands in fear that she'd throw something else at him.

"Fine. Make it quick. You haven't got time for me, so I don't have time for you." She said nastily, lifting her nose in the air slightly.

"What you said out there…you were right. I don't pay you much attention. I should, you're my little sister, my only sister. I care about you Gin, I do, I'm just not that good at showing it. You know that." Ron said, rubbing the back of his neck; he did that when he was nervous, Ginny knew.

"Yeah well." Ginny said quietly.

"Forgive me?"

Ginny just looked at him. "You'll have to make it up to me." she said, smiling lightly.

"I will, things are going to change from now on Ginny, I promise you that." Ron said, pulling her into a hug. Ginny hugged back for a moment before pulling away.

"Ron, you stink. Have a shower." She said wrinkling her nose.

"I could say the same about you!" he said, grinning.

"Yes, you could, but you won't." Ginny said, grabbing her towel and heading to the girls' showers.

Later that night Ginny was to be found sitting with Ron, Hermione and Harry at their table in the Common room. She'd been invited to sit with them though she didn't know why. All that she knew was that Ron was paying her plenty of attention and the Common Room was partying as Gryffindor had won the game earlier that day. She'd seen Malfoy walking around with a bandage over his nose and his eyes were purpling quite nicely. She had the feeling that she had been present when it happened but she just couldn't remember _how_ it had happened.

Ginny was staring off across the room when she saw a piece of parchment appear on the notice board. She stood up and went over to read it. Her eyes widened as she took in the words.

_Dear Students, _

_It is my pleasure to inform you that this year Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be holding it's first Muggle Halloween Ball. You are hereby required to dress as someone from the Muggle world. Be it a famous person, or a creature that the children in the Muggle world dress as. _

_The ball is open to students all years, as you do not require a dance partner as per the Yule Ball. The ball starts at eight o'clock and the feast will follow the ball, making it a long night for all. You are not required to attend the feast but by all means you are all welcome._

_In the meantime, who ever comes up with the most creative costume wins a years supply of _Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans._ The headmaster and I hope to see all of you there._

_Yours sincerely _

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Transfiguration Teacher. _

Ginny raised her eyebrows and walked back over to the trio who were engaged in a game of Exploding Snap as they'd finished their homework.

"Want to play Gin?" Harry and Ron asked as she sat down, looking at them strangely she shook her head and proceeded to tell them about the Halloween Ball.

"Oh yes that's right. I'd completely forgotten about it." Hermione said, throwing a card onto the pile and pulling back as it exploded, Ron sighing happily.

"Yeah, they told us about it on the first day of term in the Prefect's compartment. Don't we have to help with that?" he asked Hermione who frowned at him.

"Yes, we do, Ron." She said, picking up a discarded book to her left and opening it to a marked page.

"So what do you think you'll wear?" Ginny asked the three of them. Hermione brightened but didn't say anything. Ron and Harry shrugged.

"Wouldn't have a clue." Harry said honestly. "I'll probably just wear Muggle clothing." He said, throwing a card onto the stack.

"Very adventurous you are." Hermione said smiling. "What about you Ron?" she said looking at him pointedly.

"I don't know. I need ideas. What sorts of things do Muggles dress as on Halloween?" he asked and Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes, realising that of course Ron and Ginny wouldn't know what to dress as.

"Well…super hero's and things like that. People they admire, story book characters...animals." Hermione said, casting around for ideas.

"What so what you're saying is, we could dress as a Hippogriff?" Ron said incredulously. Hermione laughed.

"Yes, of course you could, if you wanted too."

"Think I'll pass actually." He said, the Snap cards exploding again.

The wheels in Ginny's head were turning. What could she dress as? For some reason she wanted to keep it a surprise, she didn't want anyone knowing before the night what she would wear. She thought about the Muggle fairy tales that she'd heard of; maybe she could find something in them that was halfway respectable. She didn't want to dress as some animal. She wanted to look nice and as close to normal as she could manage. She didn't want to stand out from the crowd if she could help it.

She smiled, thinking that now Ron was taking an interest in what she was doing that it might actually be fun to dress up for the night and spend time with her brother and his friends. She sat and watched the three of them silently as they went about their business.

Ginny was surprised at how suddenly they were inviting her to do things with them. She must have done something good for them to be paying her attention all of a sudden. _Something good._ She thought. But what? She was having too many instances when she didn't know what she'd been doing. It reminded of her first year when Voldermort had possessed her. She shuddered slightly and Hermione looked up concerned.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Ginny lied. Something that she had gotten good at over the years of being ignored.

He couldn't be possessing her now though, that was ridiculous, he was dead. Harry had killed him. It was over forever.

"I'm Fine." She muttered to herself quietly.

Hope you liked it guys! Bit pressed for time tonight so without further ado…

To my reviewers:

**Thanks to OExpecto PatronumO – BrokenRain -- Rayah Papaya –Vanilla Chocolate – ina otaku – Manders – kaiyana – HarryGinny -- ****ginnyNharrysecretlove**

Sapphire Teresa 

I'm back and better than ever! Lol. What an opening. It does seem that she has a personality disorder doesn't it? That was actually the main plan but…well you'll see. =) Thanks for reviewing.

**IceSugarHigh**

Wouldn't it be funny if he did? Hmm lol. Bit too smart you are I think. I mentioned you this time! Are you happy? I don't mention everyone all the time though otherwise it'd take too long, but I do appreciate everyone's reviews all the same. Thanks!

**Annie**

I know what it's like to have an average day and find a fantastic fic to read (Not saying that this one is or anything) It's really satisfying. I aim to make people laugh so I think my job here is done!

**MilesFromNormal**

__I hear ya. I think at some point in time, all of us will be envious of Ginny in that last chapter. Though right now, I don't have teachers I want to yell at but I'm sure it'll happen soon enough. ;-)

Meli 

I'm the same way Meli, I'm too shy for my own good. Though once annoyed, I can spout off for hours lol. You don't want to get on my bad side today. For instance, I've just gotten back from out town's local Show (Fair) after being nearly suffocated by people trying to buy sample bags (showbags). There was one kid who was shouting in my ear and I said to my Mum through clenched teeth 'If she does that one more time I will hit her.' And someone standing nearby looked and me and smiled and I smiled back and putting on a sweet face and voice said 'I'm a nice child, really I am.' This nastiness came from me, me who wants to be a preschool teacher…people should be worried. Bit of trivia for you guys! It just goes to show Meli, that when annoyed, the shyest of people can really let rip. (Today's episode was tame, compared to usual.)

IndiaInk 

You can say that my story is one of the most realistic you've read in a long while and I'm glad you did. I seem to be able to write that way for some reason. I think because the Trio Ginny are teens and I'm one myself, it just comes easily. This is actually the first story that I've really written that has much magic in it! Usually it's _all _romance. Lol.

Musicsage92 

I've just been and read your story! Very nice. I'm considering writing a Lily/James soon myself. (Thanks to Sede's brilliance.) I have two other stories going at the moment but I don't like them very much so I may take over Lily and James for a while and put them through hell lol. Catch ya soon! Thanks for reviewing.

**JamieBell**

Hey hey! I haven't heard that song yet, but that isn't saying much. I haven't listened to the radio for ages for a long time. I used to listen to it for hours on end but these days it distracts me from my homework. I have that whole 'dancing-in-front-of-the-mirror-with-the-hairbrush' disease and when that happens, the homework doesn't get done. Lol. Ron is…well once again I've made him a tad thick. I'm sorry Ronnie! I love Ron as much as the next person but I always write him as a thick individual. Shouldn't do that. Anywho's, we'll see more of Ron's comments don't you worry. Thanks again for reviewing! =)

**A Harry and Ginny Dreamer**

Ah…you're warm. I'll tell you that much. You're not getting too far ahead of yourself trust me. You're really good at this story thing aren't you? Lol. Keep reading!


	4. A Muggle Halloween

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the following characters, except for Sachelle and her cronies/minions.

­

Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 4–A Muggle Halloween.

"Creepy Crawlies!" Ginny yelled to the Fat Lady and giving Ginny a nasty look she swung forward and admitted her to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Ginny walked across the room, muttering profanities under her breath. Just as she was on her way to her dorm a flash went off in front of her and she looked left to see Colin standing there with his camera, a grin on his face.

"What the hell are you doing?" she said a moment later, having seen popping lights in front of her eyes, she just figured it was the flash of the camera, not reading too far into it.

"Classic moment couldn't pass it up. You may want to show this photo to your kids one day. I've never seen you that angry before." He said shaking his head.

"Yeah, well I'll bet you've never seen this before either." Ginny said grabbing his camera from his hand and dropping it to the floor and stamping on it.

"Hey what are you…Ginny no!" Colin said, trying to rescue the Camera from her. He did and as he picked it up and cradled it like a baby, bits fell off of it. "Dammit Ginny, it was just a photo!" he said frowning at her and walking away. Ginny just shook her hair out of her eyes and stomped up to her dorm.

"She' s making quite a name for herself." Ginny heard someone in the room saying as she approached.

"It's weird, she's never done anything like this before. Why start now?" another voice said.

Ginny frowned, she knew that they were talking about her and she didn't like it one bit. She pushed open the door and walked purposely over to her own bed.

"Ginny! Hi!" a girl that she thought was named Sachelle said to her as she walked in.

"Hey!" Ginny said in a sugary sweet voice, obviously being sarcastic but she realised soon that the girls thought she was being genuine.

"What are you dressing as for the Ball Ginny?" Sachelle cooed at her as though they'd been best friends for years. Ginny decided to have a little fun.

"Well I don't really know yet." She said, looking through her trunk as though she had a bunch of Halloween costumes in there. Sachelle and her posse gasped.

"You don't _know_? The Ball is _tonight_!" one of her little minions said, her hands on either side of her face, which was wearing a horror stricken expression.

"Oh well you know. I'm sure I'll find something." Ginny said, holding up her most recent Weasley jumper wearing a critical look on her face.

"Surely you aren't thinking of wearing _that_?" Sachelle said with a disapproving look on her face.

"You're going the right way for a slap across the face." Ginny said glaring at her. Sachelle shut her mouth with a snap and she motioned to her friends to follow her from the room.

Once they'd left, Ginny flopped down onto her bed, tossing her jumper aside. She loved her Weasley jumpers. They were tradition and most importantly of all they were extremely warm. Ginny sometimes wondered if her Mother had fitted them with a Heating Charm. She stared up at the canopy of her four-poster and thought about what had upset her before she'd broken Colin's camera. He had deserved it after all but it wasn't him taking her photo that bothered her so much. It was the terrible score she'd gotten on her Charms test that was bothering her.

She'd gone to see Professor Flitwick, to see how she'd done because she was pretty confident that she'd passed with flying colours. He'd given her a pitying look and handed her the test back with a large '49' scrawled at the top of the page. She'd gaped at it and fled the classroom, not waiting for an explanation. One percent off of passing but that just didn't sound right. She hadn't had any doubts when she was taking the test, she was sure that she'd passed appropriately. She really didn't need this in her O.W.L year.

She stood up and went to her closet, looking through its contents and found a light fairy costume in there. She frowned at it, wondering why they hell she would have a pathetic fairy costume in her closet. She pulled it out and looked at it critically.

"Hmm…this looks fixable…" she said to herself as she laid it on the bed.

An hour later Ginny was standing in front of a floor length mirror staring at her reflection. She smiled turning around. She had altered the fluttery light blue skirt that she'd found in her closet to a short red mini skirt. She was wearing a matching red halter-top. She twirled around, satisfied with her reflection and picked up a Sugar Quill that she'd transfigured into a pitchfork. She straightened the horns on her head and opening the door to the dorm, she walked out and through the Common Room and smirked as she passed girls looking at her strangely with what she supposed were jealous looks. She paused for a moment at the doors to the Great Hall. She pulled them open and the music that had been playing loudly seemed to have stopped and many people were staring at her. Obviously they'd been awaiting her appearance because people were whispering to each other and pointing.

"Haven't you ever seen the Devil before?" she said winking at them all and when no one said anything she spoke again. "As you were." She said waving her hand around in the air like a Queen.

She walked around the room slowly, pausing to take a drink of Pumpkin Juice and survey the people around her. It really was a sight to see, people walking around dressed like ten year olds. She laughed at them and soon spotted what looked like Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting down at one of the strategically placed tables. She walked over to them; careful to walk slowly so that she didn't twist an ankle because of the high-heeled shoes she was wearing.

She sat down and was greeted with three very different looks. Ron's first expression was one of surprise followed soon by disgust.

"You can't dress like that Ginny! It's not right. It's like your some kind of—"

"Scarlet woman? Seems appropriate doesn't it, scarlet…red." Ginny said winking at him and he frowned and looked away.

Hermione was looking at her with an unreadable expression on her face. She didn't seem to approve though she thought that it was good that Ginny had showed up, usually she would have come and blended into the background, at least this time she was making a statement.

Ginny turned her eyes to Harry and smiled.

"Like what you see Potter?" she said winking seductively at him.

"Uh…well…. aren't you cold?" he finished, indicating to the short skirt that she was wearing.

"Not at all, quite…hot actually." She said, flicking back her long red hair that was covering her small top. She breathed deeply and saw that Harry's eyes weren't focused on her face. She grinned and stood up.

"Fancy a bit of a twirl Hermione?" she addressed her friend who was dressed in black, a wart on her nose and dark bags under her eyes. Apparently Hermione had decided to come dressed as how Muggles saw Witches. Hideous really, how could Muggles think they looked _that _bad? If Ginny was right, Hermione would have gotten the likeness perfect.

Hermione stood up and followed Ginny and they danced together along with Lavender and Parvati who seemed to have dressed as fairy princesses. _Figures._ Ginny thought, a smile coming to her face.

"What?" Lavender asked her, eyeing her jealousy evident in her eyes.

"Nothing." Ginny said in a singsong voice, dancing and laughing with her friends.

The four girls danced together, ballroom and square dancing came into the mix, they were thoroughly enjoying themselves whilst Harry and Ron sat watching them.

"Ginny certainly looks different tonight." Harry said, taking a large gulp of Butterbeer and Ron looked at him then at his sister.

"Yeah she does. She isn't herself Harry. I'm worried about her." He said frowning over at the four girls laughing loudly together, looking like they were having a fabulous time.

"She can look after herself Ron, she proved that at the Quidditch match." Harry said, laughing as Ginny dipped Hermione and pulled her up so fast that she nearly fell over.

"Yeah, I know but that doesn't stop me from worrying. What if she's always like this?"

"Would it be such a bad thing?"

"Somehow, I think so." Ron said indicating the girls who had stopped dancing and were having a heated argument.

"What are you doing?" Lavender hissed at Ginny as she was smiling appreciatively.

"Just looking." Ginny said, indicating her eyes roaming around the room.

"At who?" Lavender said though gritted teeth.

"Malfoy. Not that it's any of your business." Ginny said, swaying to the music.

"You were not looking at Malfoy! I saw you looking at Seamus! _My _Seamus!" she shrieked and Hermione looked around quickly, to see if anyone else had noticed the sparring. She shared a look with Parvati who just shrugged, apparently happy to watch the catfight unfold.

"_You're _Seamus? He hasn't been _your_ Seamus for at least a month!" Ginny said laughing harshly.

"How do you know that?" Lavender asked, suddenly alarmed. "I mean--" she muttered, trying to cover up. No one knew about her and Seamus! They couldn't possibly.

"I was in the Common Room when you stormed in all those weeks ago. He dumped you and you haven't told anyone!" Ginny said smirking at her, feeling strangely satisfied for being the one to uncover Lavender's secret.

Lavender looked like a Hippogriff caught in the headlights from the Weasley's Ford Anglia. She looked left and right then her eyes met Seamus' and he frowned at her and turned to continue dancing with a girl whom Ginny recognised from her Charms class. So Seamus was with a girl a year younger than Lavender. That must really hurt. Ginny smirked.

"You've got to admit though, he'd pretty hot." Ginny said, pretending to fan herself. Lavender lunged at her but Parvati grabbed her just in time and Ginny looked her up and down whilst shaking her head in disgust. "Tsk tsk, Lavie, control yourself." She said walking away across the room to the refreshment table.

Ginny felt a small twinge of guilt as she watched Lavender sending Seamus looks across the room. She shouldn't have been so rude to her. Then again, when had Lavender treated Ginny with respect? She's pushed Ginny countless times, claiming that she hadn't seen her. Which, Ginny knew wasn't true. Lavender just liked to rule people. _Well, she wasn't doing that tonight_. Ginny thought wryly helping herself to a Custard Cream. She daintily licked the cream from her fingers after she'd finished and someone appeared beside her but didn't speak.

She whirled round and was face to face with some masked person wearing a cape. She smiled, knowing whom it was.

"And who might you be?" She asked the 'stranger' looking him up and down. Yes, the height was right for him, the confident stance, and the small amount of hair that she could see under the top hat that he was wearing.

"The Phantom of the Opera but I wouldn't expect you to know who that is." Said a deep voice, which she recognised also.

"What, the weird guy that played the Piano thing that lived under the ground, the guy that promised to seek revenge on the people?" she said sarcastically.

"I'm impressed." The caped crusader said.

"Fascinating." She said, bored out of her mind.

"I must say, your choice of dress is most interesting." He said reaching out a hand. She grabbed onto it and with a sweet smile she squeezed his fingers so that they cracked. He showed no sigh of pain but she knew that it would have hurt.

"Who needs a wand?" she asked rhetorically. "Talk to you later Malfoy." She said, pulling his mask away from his face and letting it spring back into place and laughing. "Nice nose." She said referring to the bruising in the middle of his face.

Half an hour later Ginny and Harry were sitting together at the same table she'd found him at when she'd first arrived. She'd noticed that he hadn't gotten up to dance with anyone yet. She pretended to be watching the odd couples twirling around the dance floor together though she was really studying Harry.

Harry was dressed in a simple pair of black jeans and a slightly dressy shirt dark green in colour. She couldn't work out who he was supposed to be so she asked.

"I'm dressed as a typical sixteen year old Muggle. You see, sixteen is considered too old to enjoy Halloween." He said with a smile looking at Ginny.

"Party pooper." She said, her chin resting on her hand.

"Yeah well me and Ron were fresh out of ideas. And he refused point blank to wear a dress so go figure." He said taking a swig of Butterbeer. Ginny smiled thinking how disturbing it would be to see Ron, let alone any of her brothers in a dress…again.

"Yeah, I suppose he's still not over the time that Fred and George attacked him and made him wear one of my dresses when he was six." Ginny mused and Harry chocked. He thumped himself on his chest and looked at Ginny, his eyes sparkling.

"Tell me more!" he said, a maniac glint now in his eyes. Ginny laughed and stared him in the face.

"You have your mother's eyes and they're lovely." Ginny said, not feeling the least bit embarrassed at making such a statement.

"I…what? How do you know what my Mother's eyes look like?" he asked frowning.

"I…oh Harry, I'm sorry. My Mum showed me a picture once of your Mum and Dad when they were younger…I shouldn't have brought it up…shit." She muttered looking away from him.

"No, it's alright. Moody showed me a picture of the Order in my fifth year…wasn't the nicest thing to see." He said, looking down into the dregs of his drink moodily.

"Come on!" Ginny said suddenly, standing up and grabbing onto Harry's sleeve, dragging him to the dance floor.

"Oh no, no way. I am not going to be roped into this." Harry said, trying to pull the other way but he found that Ginny was stronger and had pulled him to the floor successfully.

"Dance with me!" Ginny commanded though she was speaking with a joking tone.

The two of them laughed and joked together and after dancing for a few songs, went in search of Ron and Hermione for a fast dance, Ginny and Hermione dancing together, and the two boys refusing to go near each other to do the same thing. A song later Ron and Hermione disappeared, leaving Harry and Ginny together again to dance to a slow song. Harry tried to protest but Ginny made him stay and after a roll of his eyes she put his arms around her waist, having to tug at them to get them there. Harry looked nervous but after a quick look about him he realised no one else seemed to care what he was doing; he calmed down and swayed gently to the music with Ginny.

"You're really different these days Gin." He said looking down at her to see what she would say in response.

"Good different or bad different?" she said narrowing her eyes at him though she didn't look too concerned with what his answer might be so he decided to be honest.

"I-I'm not sure. Good for the fact that you talk to me more now."

"I've always spoken to you Harry, it was just a matter of whether or not you heard me, which the majority of the time, you didn't." she said darkly.

"I'm sorry." He said sounding genuine. "You know what I'm like with girls, ones that I fancy or otherwise. I've ignored you in the past and I'm sorry for that."

"I forgive you. After all, you've had other things on your mind." Ginny said, and they both knew without her saying that she meant Voldermort.

"Thanks, though it doesn't really excuse the behaviour."

"No, I suppose it doesn't. You still have a lot to learn Potter." She said thoughtfully, grinning at him all the same.

"Oh is that so?" he asked, dipping her and she squealed and when he pulled her up again she smacked him on the arm playfully.

"Yeah, face it Potter, you're hopeless with the ladies." She said in a strange accent and he frowned, laughing at her.

The song ended and some fast music began again and Ginny lured Harry into another dance. They were dancing and spinning in circles when Ginny felt a familiar sensation go throughout her body.

"Woah!" she said as she experienced the dizzy feeling and fell down, though the realised dimly that she didn't hit the floor; Harry had caught her before it could happen. He lifted her back to her feet and she opened her eyes, holding her head and looked Harry up and down and saw that she was in his arms. She blushed and pulled away from him.

"I-I-I…oh my…Merlin!" she whispered, looking _herself_ up and down and seeing with horror that she was wearing less clothing than what she wore to bed!

She looked round her and scoped out the nearest exit which was all the way across the large hall. The exit being the balcony that the teachers had fixed to the side of the castle with magic. She pulled frantically at her skirt, trying vainly to make it longer, to go below her knees, not three inches above them! She heard footsteps behind her and jumped behind one of the stone pillars that held up the ceiling. The footsteps passed and she stuck her head out from behind it and walked quickly next to a boy of around seventeen who was a little… erm…_bigger_ than her and she hid behind him until he veered off in a different direction. She shrieked and fell to the floor and crawled along behind the teachers' table. Cursing her stupidity she got up again, dusting herself off and ducked behind Dumbledore's high backed chair. If only she had her wand…but she supposed that she didn't have a lot of room for it in this tiny costume. She could have at least created a diversion with it. At that moment the lead singer of the band called everyone's attention and she saw her chance to run the last few metres of the room to the balcony. _Damn heels._ She thought as she twisted her ankle slightly and she limped across the last few steps to freedom. She breathed a sigh of relief and heard footsteps once again and jumped behind a conveniently placed pot plant. She held her breath, expecting the footsteps to belong to a couple who had snuck outside for some privacy.

"Ginny?" Harry's voice called out.

_Oh no! Go away!_ She thought wildly. _If there was a moment I don't want Harry to see me, it's right now! _

"Ginny? Gin—come out of there." He said, and she looked up in surprise to see Harry looking down at her and offering his hand. "What happened in there?" he asked as she stepped out and shrunk back behind the pot as someone passed the entrance.

"N-nothing." She said, as she stepped out from the pot again, her stuttering coming at the most inappropriate moment.

"Are you sure? You were dancing with me quite easily then you ran off! I was the one trying to run off." He said laughing lightly.

"I was dancing…with you and you were trying to…run away?" Ginny said mortified. Great, she'd danced with Harry and he'd wanted to get away.

"Not run from _you_! Just the whole dancing thing." He said placing a hand on her shoulder. Which, Ginny noted was bare skin that really should have been covered. Where on earth did she find these clothes?

She looked up at Harry and he smiled at her. Before she could stop herself she spoke.

"Harry, do you think there's something wrong with me?" she asked him, looking out over the balcony.

"What? Of course not!" was his immediate reaction and she smiled.

"You didn't let me finish but that answer will do." She said smiling. Harry laughed and Ginny's smile slipped from her face.

"I look like a…a…scarlet woman! I need to fix this!" she said indicating her top and her skirt. Harry frowned but pulled out his wand and as Ginny watched, her skirt lengthened so that it swept the floor and her top received a lot more material to it. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for that. I appreciate it. Anything I can do to repay you let me know." Ginny said smoothing down her skirt.

"Actually—"

"Ginny! There you are. Good, you finally saw sense." Ron said walking up to them with Hermione at his heels, indicating Ginny's recently updated outfit.

"Yeah." She said still feeling slightly uneasy in her outfit. How many people had been goggling at her whilst wearing the mini skirt? Judging by the night sky she'd been at the Ball a fair while so people must have noticed her. She just wished that she could remember. _Why_ couldn't she remember? All that she knew was that she was missing large chunks of time from her life. Though she only knew this because of what people had told her. They couldn't all be lying to her. Could they?

"What brings you two out here?" Harry asked as he leant against the railing of the balcony.

"Needed air." Hermione said fanning her flushed face.

"Oh really?" Harry said grinning. Ron gave him a look that clearly said that he'd better not elaborate on his comment.

"Yes, Harry!" Hermione said pointedly, smiling secretively.

"Second thoughts, I don't think I want to know anyway." He said, shuddering and Ginny smiled, wishing she could just melt away into the background.

"I think I might call it a night you guys." Ginny said, thinking of how she was going to get out of there.

"What? Already? But the feast hasn't even started yet!" Ron said, his stomach growling to prove his point.

"I think I'll pass all the same. Now I've just got to get out of here without being noticed…" she muttered to herself, peeking around the corner, only to find everyone dancing again. _Damn_. She thought annoyed.

"No problems. Sneak out in about five minutes ok?" Harry said and he disappeared around the corner without further explanation.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny stared at one another and heard from inside the announcer calling everyone around him again. Ginny smiled, embarrassed, bade goodnight to the two still standing there and stuck her head round the corner and calmly walked out of the Hall, Harry giving her a thumbs up sign as she left. She waved and mouthed 'goodnight' to him, which he returned.

Ginny got to the Common Room without running into anyone which she thanked her lucky stars for and went upstairs to change into her pyjamas and she came back downstairs again to read on the couch as it was too early to go to bed yet. She was toasting quite nicely next to the fire, no need for a blanket to keep her warm. She read for a few minutes but soon fell asleep, dropping her book to the floor.

Soon after, the Portrait Hole opened and admitted Harry who walked over to Ginny and smiled at her sleeping form, debating with himself to wake her or not. He was just about to kiss her softly on the forehead (though he didn't have the remotest idea of why) when Ginny stirred in her sleep and sat up.

"Oh Harry. Hello." She said, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She tucked up her feet so that he was able to sit down and he handed her a serviette filled with an assortment of sweets. "Thanks! You read my mind." She said as she bit into a strawberry tart.

Harry watched her and smiled. "You've got a little…here." He said reaching out and wiping a bit of strawberry from the tip of her nose and she blushed, swiping at her nose herself.

"T-thanks." Ginny said, trying to hold back an ear splitting grin.

It was ironic how a week ago Harry had barely turned his head when she entered the room, now he was wiping food from her nose…terribly clichéd. She'd seen a muggle movie once and something of the same sort had happened, the next moment, the actor people had kissed. Just thinking this made her blush harder then she realised that she was in her pyjama's also and she grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and threw it over herself.

"Well I…uh should probably…hit the sack. Bed! The bed. I'll see you tomorrow?" Harry asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

"Sure Harry." Ginny said, just wishing that he'd leave because her face was feeling considerably hot and she didn't think it was because of the fire burning brightly in front of her.

He waved goodnight and headed up stairs to his room, feeling like an idiot.

Ginny however, sighed and grabbed a cushion and smooshed it into her face and made a strangled noise into it. She pulled it away soon after and fell backward onto the sofa, grinning. Then she frowned.

_It's bad enough that I embarrass myself let alone in front of Harry. Not that it matters, I don't like him, I really don't. Truly, duly don't…not much anyway…_

__

Ok people if you have seen a sentence like that anywhere on , it's because I've used it in another of my stories, and so it does belong to me. It's all mine! I didn't steal it but if you've seen it somewhere else then I suppose great minds think alike because I did come up with it myself though I'm sure someone else probably has at some point or another. Nesserz.__

To my reviewers:

Thanks to: **MilesFromNormal, Mary-V, Nadia118, Adnama, Broken Rain, Xgirl66, IndiaInk, Annmarie Aspasia**

**Rayah Papaya **

The Cable Guy! I'm no movie buff but I do know that one. It is a bit like that isn't it? I should have watched that movie to give me a bit of an insight. Damn. Oh well, I think things are going ok for the time being? Don't you. I hope you liked this chapter, it was my favourite to write so far, especially the whole devil business. Look forward to hearing your comments on this one. )

IceSugarHigh 

I'm mentioning you again! How do you feel? Lol. Spot on with the whole 'hot fairy tale person' thing! Well done, I didn't realise I was getting so predictable, but I prefer to think that you are just very very clever, something which I think you'll definitely agree with. wink Speaking of clever, I think I have made Ginny out to be a little thick. I agree with you, I would want to know what is going on with me if I was having black outs in my memory but let's just put it down to the fact that in this story, Ginny is a little shy and wouldn't exactly go around trying to find out what's going on in her 'normal' state and when she's in her 'split's', she doesn't want to know what's going on, as she thinks she's always like that. I hope you made sense of that, because that almost confused me lol. Happy reading. **P.S. Harry and Ginny sitting in a swamp?** You _have_ to tell me what _that's_ about!

SummerRaven 

I loved writing that bit, albeit wasn't very long but I know that I'd love to do that to Malfoy if I came across him. Note: No, I would not like to hit Tom Felton people, Draco Malfoy the character. Draco is evil; he is not Ginny's future husband. But hey, if you think he is, that's fantastic, this is just my humble opinion. Don't hurt me! Carry on. Lol.

SillyGillie 

Welll…it's a long story. Well actually it's not but it's hard to explain. This isn't really based after OotP, even though I have the Trio in their sixth year. I should have thought about the before. If it was true to J.K.'s story, then the Ginny in _this _story should be outgoing but she isn't. For this story to work, Ginny had to be a little timid, someone who doesn't ask questions, so that when she has her 'split's, it is noticeable. If she was outgoing and then split, you wouldn't think too much of it. Am I making sense? I hope I am because I don't know how else to explain it! If you want me to try and decipher it better for you then email me and I'll do my best! I'm glad you are enjoying it, even though it's a bit confusing. Just a bit of a mistake on my part really.

**Kaiyana**

Thank you for that comment. It makes me feel great to know that my stories are original because a lot of the time I feel like they are carbon copies of everything else I've written, along with the other great writers here at I feel warm and fuzzy now, reading your comment. Thanks again. )

JamieBell 

You bow to me? Wicked cool lol. All I need to do now is teach my school friends to do that! Somehow I don't think it will work, as they don't know just how fantastic my stories are. **(Kidding people, I am not that self obsessed that I think my stories are fantastic. Sure, I like them but that's as far as it goes.)** Glad you're enjoying it. I'm trying a bit of a different approach to the Ron in my newest story. He isn't in it much but when he is, he isn't stupid! Could be interesting to see what people think. They may prefer him thick. Lol. Talk soon. )

**Meli**

On the subject of nastiness, I've taken to being nasty in public lately. It's awful but so much fun to do. If someone annoys me, I'll just make a comment rather loudly so they can't possibly miss it. Such as my favourite: 'Oh don't stand in the way of where people walk will you? Oh no that would be just _rude_'. I'm terrible, one day it is going to come back and bite me and when it does, I'll probably shake the person's hand that smacks me out and tell them thank you and that I knew it was coming lol. I've been known to kick movie seats too, so much fun. Hope you liked the chapter by the way! Lol.

Marianna847 

Point One: It's Luna, does she ever do anything normal? (Fact: I make mistakes so I pay you that one, I lose lol.)

Point Two: I'm sure you are right. I guess I've just always had this thought in my head that the Chasers were all in the same year. Silly me. I'm one of these people who remembers the big things, but usually misses the small things.

Good on you for picking up those mistakes! Wish I were more efficient. Glad you enjoyed the story all the same. )

**A Harry and Ginny Dreamer**

Damn, I wish I had thought of the 'Weasley is my King' thing! Do you have any other great ideas like that floating around? I want to write a one shot but am fresh out of ideas, as usual. Glad you are enjoying it and I'm sure some of your predictions will come true; I'm pretty predictable, much to my regret.

**Lizzie Weasley**

I shall ask Sede for that email. I spoke to her last night and I forgot to ask. Darn it. Thanks for your advice about the grammar. I put it down to my computer being stupid because my grammar is excellent and it's likely a typo that the comp didn't pick up! That theory makes me look good doesn't it? Lol. No doubt it was me and not the computer. Well…some doubt. Thanks again.

Well there you have it guys, another day, another chapter. Bet you'd almost forgotten about this story, I know I had, though I hate to admit it. I'm working on my newest story at the moment and it's going quite nicely since I'm on holidays and have 2 weeks to get it up and running properly.

Ciao for now,

Nesserz.


	5. Wrong Again

­

Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 5 -- 

Ginny awoke the next morning, Harry on her mind. As much as she didn't want him to be, he was. Then she remembered the night before and how he'd asked if he'd see her the next day. She hadn't realised prior to last night that she liked Harry. He'd never payed her much attention, even after saving her from the Chamber…she recalled with a shudder.

She'd first liked him because he was 'Harry Potter' after she'd gotten to know that he was the same as everyone else she'd stopped liking him as much. Thinking she realised that this time she liked him was because he'd helped her out a great deal the night before. Perhaps that was why she was attracted to him; she had seen first hand how generous he could be without thinking anything of it or asking for thanks in return and that made her feel special.

Perhaps her liking him was just due to the fact that she craved attention and he gave it to her, unknowingly. She knew was that it wasn't a good idea to get too involved. It was her O.W.L year and she didn't need distractions. Though, she thought guiltily, she hadn't been spending too much time on her studies lately. She made a mental note to do something about that. Maybe Hermione could quiz her later on what she knew.

She climbed out of her bed and offered a small smile to Sachelle in greeting who in turn fled the room, squealing out for her friends. Ginny stood stock-still wondering what on earth she'd done, then shrugging, picked out an outfit to wear for the day. It was sunny out so she grabbed a pink shirt that had a smart 'G' embroidered onto it and a cotton skirt that her Mother insisted she take with her 'just in case.' and pulled them on, as she was tying her shoes someone knocked lightly on the door and she called for them to come in. It turned out to be Hermione and she looked pleased to see that Ginny was up and ready.

"Good morning! Care to spend some time out on the grounds with us?" she said smiling brightly.

"Actually, I have a bit of homework that I need to get though." Ginny said, annoyed that she would have to stay inside.

"Perfect. So do we." She said walking back to the door, Ginny following after she grabbed her school bag.

Due to the lovely weather Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny set themselves up underneath the tree that was next to the lake meaning that they were rewarded with the soothing noise of the water lapping against the edges of the lake. They'd been working quietly for an hour or so when Ron started rummaging through his bag and produced a bag of Sugar Quills. He threw one to each of them and sat back and sucked on his loudly. After several minutes of this Hermione sighed loudly and threw down her real Quill and picked up the one Ron had offered her and began to suck it.

Ginny however continued working, frowning at her Charms work. Annoyed she threw down her Quill and sucked on the sweet sugar one thrown at her carelessly by her brother. She let the sugar melt on her tongue and closed her eyes and put her face up to the warming sun.

SMACK!

Ginny held her head, having just been hit in the back of it. She saw stars in front of her eyes and heard footsteps then cursing.

"Bloody hell! Sorry Ginny." Came a boy's voice. She turned around and shielded her eyes from the sun and looked into the guilty faces of Seamus and Dean.

"So you bloody well should be!" she said standing up to face them. "I could have choked on this!" she said, gesturing with her Sugar Quill wildly. She noticed with satisfaction that they drew back slightly, though they were a good few inches taller than her. They muttered their apologies quickly and reached for the 'Soccer Ball' as they called it but Ginny beat them too it. She grabbed it and squeezed it so hard that her fingernails pierced it and it went down with a soft 'hiss' of rushing air. She threw it back to Seamus who caught it and held it up by a point and laughed nervously.

"Thanks Ginny." He said and with Dean, walked back to the Castle very fast indeed.

Ginny plopped back down to where she'd been sitting before she'd been hit in the head. She now had a dull thumping in her head. She didn't think that she'd be able to concentrate now however she went back to her books, deftly ignoring the surprised looks on the trio's faces.

She lay her head down on her arms after trying to start her Essay on Cheering Charms for the fifth time and listened to them all talking. She noticed numbly that the others hadn't asked if she was all right.

"Some things never change." She muttered out loud, by mistake.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, thinking that Ginny was commenting on what she was talking about, which she wasn't, Ginny wasn't even listening to Hermione's excited chattering.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud." Ginny said lifting her head up to face Hermione. She nodded and started talking again. This time Ginny listened.

"Anyway, as I was saying before Ginny interrupted, my parents bought me a book all about the Wizarding landmarks in London! Wouldn't it be absolutely wonderful if we could go on a small holiday and see all of them? I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem for us to arrange. They're all situated within walking distance of one another. We could make a week or two of it and we could buy souvenirs and we could—"

Ginny drowned her out and looked at the expressions on Harry and Ron's faces. They both looked as though they'd stopped listening ages ago. Ginny smiled, it didn't look as though Hermione had noticed the rudeness of the situation. Though she should really stop talking soon, Ginny's head was throbbing worse with each sentence she spoke.

"We could stay in the Leaky Cauldron, that wouldn't be a problem. Tom the innkeeper is very nice, he wouldn't mind having us around, I'm sure. So, what do you think?" she asked excitedly.

Ginny, feeling a particular twinge of nastiness was the first to comment. "I think that you should shut up. We don't care what we do for our holidays Hermione. To tell you the truth, it sounds pretty damn boring." Ginny said, looking at Hermione who was sitting with her mouth slightly open.

"Well I just thought—"

"You thought wrong." Ginny said, sitting up and receiving a nasty look from Ron.

"That was below the belt Ginny. Apologise."

"I don't have to do anything you say! Besides, you were thinking the same thing, if I hadn't said it, you would have." She said defiantly. She could tell by the look on Ron's face that she wasn't far from wrong.

Harry was looking at Hermione who was being rather quiet. When she looked up and saw Harry looking at her a tear rolled down her face, she swiped at it and gathered her things with lightning speed. She stood and cast an extremely hurt look at Ginny and positively fled. Harry stood and ran after her, catching her up soon and putting a comforting hand on her back as they walked.

"Good one Ginny. Why are you so bloody moody these days?" Ron asked, finally annoyed at his sister's behaviour.

"I am _not _moody!" Ginny yelled at him, livid. She turned to leave but thought better of it and smacked Ron across the face. "You git!" she said and left.

"My point exactly." Ron said nursing his cheek and taking off after Harry and Hermione.

"I am not moody!" Ginny muttered to herself as she walked around the grounds. "Not at all. What reason do I have to be moody? Urgh…my head hurts." She said holding her head gently and wincing when a stab of pain shot through it.

She hadn't followed the trio after she'd insulted Hermione. She figured she'd get over it, anyhow, it was just the truth, people shouldn't get so annoyed by the truth, just because they are too weak to voice their own opinions. _I'm doing them a favour really. _Ginny thought as she walked along. She was nearing Hagrid's Hut but she didn't feel like talking to the Half Giant at present. She let her feet lead her and she ended up on the outskirts of the forest. She looked around her; to see if anyone was watching and when she was sure the coast was clear she walked straight in. She wouldn't have looked before entering except for the fact that she wanted peace and didn't want some tattle tail going and telling anyone where she was. She walked around and was surprised to see how dark it got within a small matter of steps. She weaved her way through the trees and bramble.

She stood in a small clearing and soon heard what sounded like hoofs padding on the ground. She looked around but saw nothing. Then she felt it. Something wet and soft on her hand.

"Ahhh!" she screamed and ran from the forest as fast as she could. Once outside she looked down at her hand and saw that there was a green sticky looking substance on it. "Yeuch." She said as she leant down to wipe it on the grass that reached to the edge of the forest.

"What are you doing in the forest?" she heard a far too familiar voice ask.

"None of your business ferret." She said to the blonde boy who was standing to her left. He smirked at her though he didn't look as though he would move any closer to the forest than he already was. Ginny smirked back. "You're not scared are you? A big tough Malfoy like you?" she said indicating the forest.

"No! Of course not." He said indignantly though she smiled widely when he jumped at the sound of a passing owl.

"Of course not." Ginny said, mimicking him and walking away, towards the castle. Much to her annoyance he followed her.

"You know, you're different, what's gotten into you?" he asked, keeping pace with her.

"Why should I tell you?" she replied, looking at him sideways.

"It could come in…useful." He said and Ginny didn't even ask what he meant by 'useful', she really didn't want to know.

"Shove off Malfoy." She said as they walked into the Entrance Hall.

"Maybe I don't want too." He said, standing in front of her to block her path. Ginny sighed pointedly.

I said, shove off!" She said, pushing him roughly into the wall. She heard a muffled cry of pain and was satisfied and continued onto the Common Room. This time, with no followers.

In the Common Room Ginny went over to sit with Harry, Ron and Hermione. She plopped down noisily into an armchair sighing loudly.

"_What_ a day! It's been hell." Ginny said and before she could continue Ron gave her a shrewd look then spoke.

"You're not welcome here." he said calmly, Ginny could tell that Hermione had calmed him down and told him not to yell and she was grateful because her head was still hurting.

"What? You're still dwelling on what I said? Get over it Hermione, it was just the truth. The truth hurts."

"So does what's coming out of your mouth lately!" Ron said angrily and Ginny glared at him.

"Oh and what, the things you say don't hurt Hermione? She's just used to it coming from you and not me. Is it a nice change?" Ginny asked nastily and she saw Hermione's eyes glisten again. "Oh come Hermione, be strong!" she said sarcastically and Ron finally blew his top.

"Get the hell out Ginny!" he said yelling at her and quite a few heads turned to watch the show, as it wasn't often that brother and sister fought.

"I don't know why I bothered coming inside!" Ginny yelled back in his face.

"Neither do I!" Ron hollered, standing up so that he could use his height as an advantage, or so he thought.

"I was only trying to apologise!" Ginny said, standing up to her own full height and watching Ron shrink back slightly, though only slightly.

"That was not…idiot. Just…go away Ginny!"

"Fine! Screw you all! Look after Hermione now won't you Ron? She might just give you a doggy bone for it!" Ginny said before turning on her heel and leaving the room in a huff, slamming the Portrait behind her to muffled shouts of "Watch it young lady!" from the Fat Lady. To which Ginny replied "Bite me!"

The occupants in the Common Room sat in silence, staring at the red head standing in the middle of the room, visibly looking as though he would strangle the first person to speak. Harry coughed nervously and Ron rounded on him.

"Something to say do you?" he asked, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Not at all mate. Might just…go…walk. Yeah, bye!" he said, practically running from the room.

Ron sat down next to Hermione and Ginny's words seemed to sink in because when he snuck a look at Hermione he blushed slightly though he moved closer to her and put a hand on hers and she jumped, looking at their hands, blankly, and looked into his face for an explanation.

"I am so sorry for what she just said. She's never done anything like that. I just don't understand it. I can't believe she'd do that to you either, you're her best friend." He said and Hermione shrugged but didn't say anything.

Ron could see the hurt in her eyes and could see that it would take some heavy apologising from Ginny to fix what she'd done. How he despised his sister at the moment.

Ginny stalked through the corridors, kicking anything in sight, and cursing when she hurt her toes. She was so riled up that even she didn't know what she was capable of. She walked and soon found herself by the same tree that the four of them had been sitting at a few hours earlier.

She looked up into the trees vast branches and grinned, the perfect tree for climbing. Feeling daring, she did just that. She climbed up as far as she could go and looked out through the top most branches at the view of Hogwarts. Looking from the ground, you wouldn't know that this tree went so high, though she suspected that it had some sort of magic encased in it. Soon after she climbed back down and sat on one of the lowest branches so that she could see anyone that might come looking for her, though she knew they wouldn't see her unless they looked hard.

She sat for only a few minutes before she heard approaching footsteps. Once she saw who was belonging to the legs she dropped one of her own out the tree.

After stuttering a half assed response to Ron's question of 'Something to say do you?' Harry had walked through the Castle, taking his time to get to the grounds as he figured that Ginny could do with a little cooling off time and his soul intention was to find her and ask what was going on. How could she have been so rude to Hermione, her best friend? Something was drastically wrong. _There had to be. _He thought as he walked, recalling how strange Ginny had been acting. She'd be shy and coy one minute, then the next she was telling the truth like there was no tomorrow, it was as though she didn't know about it either she—

Harry stopped suddenly for a foot had dropped right in front of his face.

"Hello Potter." A cool voice came from above that he instantly recognised as Ginny's.

"Come to check on me have you?" she asked, even cooler this time. "I didn't think Ron would want anyone to see if I was ok _this_ time." She said, swinging her leg back and forth, Harry having to duck out from underneath it.

He quickly mapped out the branches and within seconds was sitting next to Ginny on her branch.

"What do you want?" she asked, as though his presence was a great annoyance to her. Though, he mused it probably was.

"To see what's wrong with you." He said shortly.

"Why does there have to be something wrong? I do something out of the ordinary and people think that there's something wrong. Maybe I've just changed."

"Oh you've changed alright." Harry said with a barking harsh laugh.

"Not a good change I take it by your attitude." She said, turning to look at him for the first time.

"Not exactly. What happened to the nice, polite, caring Ginny?" he asked her, chancing a smile.

"She's dead." Ginny said flatly and Harry frowned.

"I hope not." He said and this time it was Ginny's time to laugh.

"And why not? It's not like you ever noticed the quiet Ginny. You only are now because she's gone. We always want something we can't have." She ended in a fake singsong voice.

"Look Ginny, why'd you say that stuff to Hermione, she never did anything to hurt you." Harry said and soon wished he hadn't.

"Oh _didn't_ she? What would you know?" Ginny muttered, thinking of how Hermione spoke to her less than what Ron did.

"More than you think." Harry said, looking down towards the ground.

"Oh? And what's that?" she countered, curious as to what his reply would be.

"That you aren't as awful as you're making out to be."

"You can't make that assumption, you don't know me. How'd you find me anyway?" Ginny asked, hoping that he'd just go away.

"I know you." Was his short reply to which Ginny laughed harshly again.

"Like hell you do!" she said staring at him with an amused look on her face.

"Like hell I don't." Harry answered.

"What do you know about me Harry? My favourite colour?" she asked sarcastically. "You don't know anything."

"I know that you don't think much of your friends, not due to the way you're treating them at the moment."

"That's not…that's not something about me!"

"No, it's not but if you want to keep your friends, I suggest you start treating them like the friends they are."

"What friends?" Ginny called as Harry leapt lightly to the ground. "I don't have friends! I only have people who are talking to me because I'm suddenly a different person!" she yelled as he started to walk away.

"Whatever Ginny, just sort out your priorities or you won't have anyone to cry too." He said and as he turned back to face her, Ginny made a particularly nasty face at him and he shrugged and continued his way back to the castle.

After deciding to take a flight around the Quidditch pitch to calm down, Ginny headed back to Gryffindor Tower for the second time that day, though she couldn't remember much of her day. All she could recall was doing her homework and getting hit in the head by something. She shrugged and gave the password to the Fat Lady and she spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting around a table closely together, talking quietly. She smiled and sat down next to them to which they promptly stood up and moved to another area in the Common Room. Ginny opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by laughter from the other people in the room. Why were they laughing? They were being so cold. She followed the others to the couch that they were sitting on and they moved—again! The laughing increased and Ginny couldn't take it anymore. Tears flowing down her pale cheeks she ran to the girls' staircase and straight up it and into her room, throwing herself onto her bed and drawing the curtains quickly. She could still hear the laughter echoing up the stairs. She put her hands over her ears to drown it out, crying so much that she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop…

Those people had been really awful! Not to mention her friends. Even Harry, how could he just up and walk away from her like that. Dimly she wondered if they were trying to teach her some sort of lesson, though what she had no idea. She cried herself to sleep and woke many times during the night to an awful dream of being laughed at. Each time she awoke she thought it had been just that, a dream but realised a second later that it had all been true.

For the next few days Ginny attended classes though she didn't speak to anyone. She was so quiet in Potions that even Snape couldn't complain because she followed out his instructions to the 't'. He then chose to spend his time nit picking the rest of Gryffindor about their Potions.

Ginny slipped slowly into a mild case of depression. Though when she felt almost happy again, someone would point and laugh at her. Normally this would have angered her but she was too upset to get angry at this point, it was as though she'd gone passed the anger stage. She didn't know what to do with herself anymore. Though things did seem to be improving, she could always account for her whereabouts now, not like a week ago, when she was halfway through a meal or some sort then she'd come too when she was sitting in the middle of a class that was three hours after breakfast. That had really scared her though it seemed to have stopped now. At least something was going right in Ginny's life and she wasn't getting those dizzy spells anymore.

Now if only she could get the rest of her life on track. She knew that her schoolwork was finally getting the attention it deserved, it was about time. After her lessons finished, she would go straight to her dorm room and stay there all night, working on homework.

One thought kept her sane through her days of solitary. _At least_ _things can't get any worse._

How wrong she was.

There ya go guys. I hope you liked it. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update but I have holidays now so I should get around to it more often.

I look forward to reading all of your wonderful reviews!

Nesserz.


	6. Chapter 6

­

Was It Something I Said?

****

Chapter 6 --

Ginny was about to flush the toilet she'd just used when she heard a group of girls walk into the lavatory giggling away at something their leader had said.

"I can't believe little Miss Weasley is failing Charms! All thanks to Moi! I only meant for her to get a bad test grade, now she's failing and in her O.W.L. year too! I couldn't have planned it better!" A voice simpered that Ginny was sure belonged to Monique.

Anger flared inside her, what she would do to tear that girl's limbs from her sockets. She'd been after Ginny for years. Ginny's fingers were grasped around the handle of the door though she let them drop. She might be lucky enough hear something else.

"She'll never make it passed fifth year if I can help it." Monique said, her voice sounding extremely happy. "Though I am a little annoyed that my Unicorn Horn didn't work. Oh well, you can't have your sugar quills and eat them too!" she said with a laugh that Ginny was sure she thought was fantastic though it sounded awful.

She didn't have the faintest idea what Monique meant by the Unicorn Horn but that didn't matter. She just needed to know if she was really failing Charms as Monique claimed. She waited for the girls to leave and sprinted down to the Charms corridor.

"No running!" called a Prefect though he apologised as he saw it was the girl who had yelled so fiercely at Ron Weasley in the Common Room a few days back.

"No, my fault!" Ginny called over her shoulder and the boy did a double take, he'd been expecting a 'Bite me!' or something of the sort.

Ginny found tiny Professor Flitwick marking work behind his desk in his classroom and she slowed to a walk and knocked on the door and he nodded her in without looking up.

"Professor, I need a word." She said breathlessly.

"Of course what is it?"

"Am I failing Charms?" she blurted out suddenly, taking the tiny little man by surprise.

"Well." He said surveying her over his glasses. "It isn't good." Ginny grimaced though she still held hope.

"If I told you that someone tampered with my test, would that change anything?" she asked, hoping against hope that he'd say yes.

"Yes, most definitely but what is this about tampering?" he asked seriously.

"I just overheard Monique Danes admit that she tampered with my test. Though I don't think she'd admit it again for a teacher." Ginny said more to herself than the Professor.

"No need for her to do so." He said picking up his wand and levitating a piece of parchment to himself from a large pile and tapping it twice with his wand, black marks appeared on the page, indicating where Ginny had circled the correct answers to the test. Soon after that, large green swipe marks appeared over the page, as though someone were erasing out the answers, and lo and behold the black marks disappeared also. Ginny gasped, thinking her answers had been lost.

"Not to worry," the professor said smiling, bringing the black marks back again, and marking Ginny's parchment as she stood there. He smiled and the parchment floated back to its previous spot between many other pieces much like itself. "I am happy to announce that you will be passing the theoretical side of Charms with flying colours! I will be having a word to Miss Danes though." He said frowning.

Ginny thanked him profusely and left the classroom with a new bounce in her step. She had been really worrying about her Charms grade as it was one of her better classes and she enjoyed Charming things.

As she walked to the Great Hall for lunch, she couldn't help but think that Monique Danes should seriously think about what she says before saying it to the walls of Hogwarts, they had ears.

Ginny was just finishing her meal and preparing for a night of reading in her dorm when a sugary sweet voice rang out from behind her.

"Oh Ginny dear, how _is _Charms class going?"

Monique. Ignore her. Ginny told herself as she grit her teeth, trying to listen to her own advice.

"Ginny, can you not hear me? Are you deaf? Did a Potion go wrong or something and affect your hearing?" she said this last bit hopefully and Ginny looked at her and frowned, not knowing what to make of it.

"Oh you _can _hear me. I was worried there for a second."

"You were not." Ginny said, though she hadn't meant too, Monique just had that something about her that Ginny didn't particularly like.

"Oh but I was. Now, I heard a rumour that you may need tutoring in that lesson. I would be more than happy to offer my services." She said though Ginny had had enough.

She knew it was extremely rude manners to walk away when you were being spoken too but she decided this was an exception. She turned on her heel and walked away calmly. She heard Monique follow her a little way and continue talking.

"Ginny, please, let me offer my services…" she said, waiting for Ginny to bite. She wasn't going too though, she was better than that, she knew when to walk away, when to ignore she knew when too –

"I got one hundred and twenty percent on _my _Charms test, I was quite shocked really—"

Screw knowing anything Ginny thought as she whirled around and closed the small distance between the two of them and punched Monique in the face. Monique let out an ear-piercing squeal and Ginny took this as her que to jump onto the girl, hitting any part that she could reach.

"You bitch!" Ginny pulled at Monique's pride and joy; her ugly mop of hair. She screamed and Ginny taking it as a pathetic whimper, pulled harder.

"Get this crazy lunatic off me!" Monique managed to yell as she found a fistful of Ginny's hair and yanked. Ginny growled, and pushed her to the floor, the two of them rolling around madly between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables. People were staring at them but Ginny noticed no one came to her aid, as usual. Not that she cared; all she wanted to do was make Monique as bruised and ugly as she could single handedly manage. It looked as though she were reaching her target but was soon pulled away.

She tried to punch the person holding her but found that it was Colin and that she didn't really have a chance of hitting him as he was holding her there with his wand.

"Let me go Colin!" she growled again but he just shrugged.

"No can do. McGonagall's instructions." He said, motioning to the woman now pulling the battered Monique to her feet.

Ginny stood firm, glaring at Monique who was cowering. _Good. _Ginny thought with satisfaction. _Maybe now she'll leave me alone!_

"My office Miss Weasley! Mr Creevey will you please escort her there, I don't know that she would turn up otherwise!" Professor McGonagall said, looking at Ginny with what could only be described as disappointment. Ginny almost felt bad for bringing this look to her teacher's face but then looked at the whimpering Monique and she smirked.

Colin jerked his wand and Ginny was forced to walk where he wanted, being out of the Great Hall, amidst all the terrified looks on people's faces.

"What, it's only Ginny Weasley, Hogwart's resident _problem_!" she yelled at them, her eyes resting on Harry for a split second. "You should be used to it by now. It's _rude_ to stare you know!" she snarled at a first year who looked as though he'd wet his pants.

"Miss Weasley. I am most disappointed in you." Professor McGonagall said as Ginny sat in her office, Colin having been told to sit outside.

Ginny bit her tongue so as not to fight back with a sarcastic '_Really? I hadn't noticed._'

"This year is important for many reasons. Firstly it is your O.W.L. year and if you wish to have a successful career, I believe you shall want to get as many as you can. This will not happen however if you devote your study time to picking fights with unsuspecting students!" she said, her voice rising with each word.

Ginny couldn't help it; she couldn't sit there and be scolded for the wrong reasons.

"She wasn't unsuspecting, she provoked me and I bit back, as anyone would have done if they'd heard what she'd said." Ginny said angrily.

"I understand. I will however have to give you a detention for your behaviour. It is not acceptable to behave like that anywhere on Hogwarts grounds Ginny, despite what your brothers may tell you." She added softly but Ginny heard her all the same. "I suggest you look into finding yourself a tutor to help you out. Infact, I insist. I suggest Hermione Granger. I believe you are friends and will be able to work efficiently together?" she asked, giving Ginny a piercing look.

"Um…could you suggest someone aside from Hermione?" Ginny asked quietly, her anger subsiding quickly to be replaced with a pang of sadness.

The Professor looked at her with a blank expression and looking as though it were a bad idea, she spoke another name.

"Harry Potter."

"I—what? Noooo." Ginny said, before thinking.

"They are the people you have to chose from I am afraid. They are our best students that will be able to help you.

"I'd rather Malfoy over them...but I suppose Harry." Ginny said, McGonagall surveying her strangely.

"Very well. Mr Potter it is, I trust you are able to study with him. I mean, really study." Her teacher asked and Ginny frowned.

"Yes, Professor." She said, slightly insulted.

"I shall inform him of his duty tonight. You will study in the Library every night. Also, you shall serve your detention later this evening." She said briskly and shooed Ginny from her office.

Ginny nodded and left the room, feeling extremely calm for some reason. Ginny veered left and was soon joined by Colin who she had left at the door.

"So what's the verdict?" Colin asked as he walked alongside her. Though he didn't look as though he was particularly concerned. He was still annoyed with Ginny for breaking his pride and joy. He hadn't spoken to her since but he didn't think that she'd noticed much. She looked like she had a lot on her mind as it was. Why would she bother about Colin and his Camera?

"Huh?" Ginny asked, trying to work out why she was walking down the corridor from McGonagall's office.

"What did she say?" he asked, elaborating slightly.

"Who?" Ginny asked, blankly again.

"McGonagall!" Colin said, looking at her, exasperated.

"Uh…have a nice day?" Ginny said, hanging her head in hopes he wouldn't ask anymore.

"Have a – Ginny are you ok?" he asked suddenly, touching her on the arm to stop her, despite the fact that he wanted to appear indifferent to her. She should have apologised for what she'd done. Ginny however stopped at his touch and looked up at him.

"No!" she said, starting to cry and Colin wrapped his arms around her and she cried into his chest, wondering why on earth she was.

"Shh. It's ok…um…here, sit down and tell me what's wrong." He said, leading her to a flight of stairs quite forgetting about his previous anger towards her.

Ginny sat next to Colin and tried to control her crying, which she did after a good few minutes. She looked at Colin and he smiled crookedly. Ginny really felt that she could trust him so she spoke, pouring out her strange feelings.

"—They won't talk too me, I think I did something really wrong. I thought thing's were changing, I thought they really wanted to be my friends..." She said and Colin wrapped a comforting arm around her.

Had Colin been in the Common Room during Ron and Ginny's fight he would have been confused by what she was saying, he would have known why they weren't talking to her but he couldn't tell her any more than she already knew which frustrated Ginny even more.

"I feel so lost!" she said laughing though not amused at all, a fresh wave of tears spilling over.

"You're not lost Gin, you're right here." Colin said, a weak attempt at a joke. Ginny gave him a watery smile.

"Why are you so nice to me Colin? Whatever did I do to deserve your kindness?" she asked him suddenly and he paused before answering.

"You're you, Gin. You didn't _do_ anything. You're Ginny and that's enough for me. You're such a nice, polite, caring person." He said and Ginny suddenly heard a voice, though she wasn't sure where it was coming from.

"What happened to the nice, polite, caring Ginny?"

"You ok?" Colin asked as he noticed her blank expression.

"Yeah…fine. I just…fine." She said, recalling the voice. It sounded like Harry's, but when had he said that, she was always nice and polite. When hadn't she been?

"You're really pretty Ginny, you'd make a great subject. I wish I had my camera with me."

Ginny smiled, flattered. "Where is it, you always carry it with you."

Colin stared at her. Ginny thought she must have had something on her face.

"What…happened…to it?" Colin asked in a strangled voice. "I loved that Camera Ginny, don't joke about it, I don't need to relive the nightmare!" he said suddenly angry. He stood and began to leave. "See you around." He said before walking off.

Ginny looked around and opened her mouth to speak but stopped at the sound of the same voice, though it was saying something different this time.

"Sort out your priorities or you won't have anyone to cry too."

Ginny bit her lip and sighed as another tear made it's way down her cheek.

Now what was she going to do? Colin wouldn't talk to her. Ginny sat on her bed, her knees hugged to her chest crying softly. She heard the door open and saw Sachelle walk in. She made to get up.

"I'll just leave…" she muttered and Sachelle nodded quickly, looking just glad to be rid of her, until she saw her face.

"Ginny?" she asked softly.

"It's ok, I'm going." She said, wishing that the girl wasn't so impatient to get rid of her.

"No, stay. You're upset. Do you…want to talk about it?" she asked and Ginny stopped sniffling to look at her properly.

"Won't your friends disagree?" Ginny asked, though she didn't care.

"They're not my friends." She said darkly. Ginny looked at her, surprised. Sachelle was always to be seen with the girls in their dorm. It was as though they were attached at the hip with a permanent Sicking Charm. Ginny couldn't understand where this was coming from.

"You know, talking about it always helps." Sachelle said soon after, smiling warmly and leading Ginny back to her bed and then walking to her own bed and rummaging under it and producing a large box. She walked back over and sat on Ginny's bed and opened the box, pulling out every sort of chocolate imaginable.

"For situations like this." She said offering the box to Ginny who took a piece of Honeyduke's best chocolate.

"You know, you're not who I thought you were." Ginny said, surprised at her forwardness, she would never be so blunt to someone she barely knew. Sachelle merely laughed.

"Neither are you!" she said and Ginny frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked, biting into the chocolate slowly.

"Oh I see, we're forgetting about the Halloween Ball then are we? I understand." She said, smiling again. Ginny returned the smile though wary. "Oh before I forget, I saw what you did to Monique, it was brilliant!" she exclaimed happily. "She had it coming to her."

"Yeah, of course." Ginny said laughing nervously. She sat in silence for a while, trying to piece things together.

"Thinking about Harry, Ron and Hermione?" Sachelle asked knowingly.

"Yes, how'd you know?" Ginny asked surprised.

"I have my ways. You didn't expect them to forgive and forget straight away did you?"

"Forgive and forget about what! I don't know what I've done!" Ginny burst out suddenly, surprising herself again.

"About you yelling at Ron, and from what I've heard, telling Hermione she's boring."

"I—what? I wouldn't do that!" Ginny said, mortified.

"Well not normally, no but lately…" Sachelle trailed off, giving off a low whistle and shaking her head.

"Lately? Have I been…different?" Ginny asked, feeling stupid that she had to ask because she didn't know herself.

"Different is an understatement. A new person completely would fit the description— Oh no. Ginny forgive me for this!" Sachelle said quickly and ran to her own bed.

"Shell sweetie! What are you doing in here?" her 'friends' asked as they walked in the door.

"Oh you know, just checking up on the boys in Witch Weekly if you know what I mean!" she said, pretending to fan herself, as though the pictures of the boys were extremely hot. She giggled airily and they copied her, then stopped laughing as though they had been paused mid laugh. They suddenly looked right at Ginny and then at Sachelle and spoke in what they must have thought where whispers.

"Has she done anything weird?" Ginny turned away and Sachelle continued to talk.

"No, hopefully if I don't go near her, she wont do anything, but you never know these days!" she said, with a fake fearful look in Ginny's direction.

"We're going to go, she scares us." One of the others said and Sachelle nodded.

"See you later darlings!" she simpered and once they'd left the room, she tossed the magazine under her bed and walked straight back over to Ginny. "I'm really sorry about that. I just don't want them to think anything's up." She said taking some chocolate. "It's so good to finally act like myself!" she said looking at Ginny who was quite shocked.

"Oh right, I'm sorry. I should explain. My mother is high up in the Ministry, and she likes me to be friends with the right people. Frankly, I think they're all really stupid. Do you know how hard it is to have a conversation with someone whose brain is addled due to the fumes of nail polish?" she said speaking very fast and ending her talk by shaking her head in disgust.

"Why stay friends with them?" Ginny said, still shocked at how well this girl could act.

"I don't have a choice. Mother's orders." She said, sticking her nose into the air. Ginny laughed and nodded.

"Well it's the opposite for me. I can be friends with whoever I want, but no one likes me." she said, hardly believing she'd said it.

"I'm sure they do—"

"They don't but I'm used to being alone now. At least I had Colin before though, I stuffed that up just now."

"Colin…Creevey?" Sachelle asked with forced casualness.

"Yeah…why?"

"Just wondering! Anywho, I have to go, I'm really sorry but I have to meet them all for dinner." She said rolling her eyes. "I hope we can chat again soon!" she said and left the room soon after in a flurry of giddy perfume and fluffy hair.

Ginny was on her way to the library the next day, having just ran into Professor McGonagall who informed her tartly that she had missed her Detention from the night before. Ginny didn't get Detentions! And she was sure that if she did, she wouldn't neglect them! Her previous thoughts that all this strangeness had died down were suddenly very real again. Things were how they'd been before Harry, Ron and Hermione had stopped talking to her. It had been two weeks now. She hadn't trad to talk to them again since as she figured that it must have been awful what she'd done.

She sat down at the table that Madam Pince had showed her too for her studying session and was gearing herself up to speak to Harry when Hermione sat down in front of her. She opened her mouth but Hermione spoke first.

"Harry was unable to tutor you as he has other arrangements, I however was available so was therefore given the job of helping you study for your O.W.L.S. We shall begin with Transfiguration as I think it is essential to know the fine art of this subject ahead of any other." Hermione said in a very businesslike tone. Though on closer inspection, Ginny noticed that she looked extremely nervous to be in the same room as her.

Ginny nodded and opened her Transfiguration text book and they worked for over an hour on it, Hermione gradually becoming more relaxed as the minutes ticked by. Ginny refused to get her hopes up that Hermione might suddenly forgive her. She knew better than that.

"Alright, next lesson we will take a look at Potions. I think that is the area that you struggle most in." Hermione said, packing up her bag.

"No I don't!" Ginny said calmly though Hermione looked short of terrified though she still commented.

"You received a 'D' Ginny." She said calmly.

"You don't know the reasons behind that." Ginny said quietly.

"I'm sure. Good night." Hermione said and walked out, leaving Ginny sitting alone at the empty table.


	7. Chapter 7

­

Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 7 -- 

"Match against Hufflepuff this Saturday—" Harry began but was interrupted by Ron who snorted.

"Nah, it's on Wednesday, of course it's on bloody Saturday Harry." He said, leaning against the back of the couch he was sitting on and Ginny sighed gently. Thinking how rude he was to Harry who didn't bat an eyelid.

She wondered mildly what would happen if she were to do something of the sort. _All hell would break loose._ She thought with a mild smile.

"Something funny Ginny?" Harry asked looking down at her, as she was the only member of the team sitting on the floor as when she had arrived for their impromptu meeting, there had been no seats left though Ron was taking up two. _Not that he offered me one._ Ginny thought bitterly. _Git._

"No Harry. Everything's—"

"Good." He said cutting her off and she shut her mouth with a snap. "I want you all to be on your alert. Hufflepuff have a new keeper and I hear he's really good. We can't afford to lose to them…well we can but we don't want to look bad do we?" he asked and waited as the six of them shook their heads. "Right. Be there a half hour before the game. You can go now."

Ginny stood up and walked back to her small table in the corner, which she was currently occupying by herself. She was working on an assignment that Hermione had set her. As though she didn't already have enough work to do with her O.W.L.S. What was she supposed to be? Better and faster than Hermione at school work? Well it certainly wasn't going to happen, no matter what the brunette hoped for.

Ginny was finding that her homework load wasn't too bad as she had plenty time to herself and she used that time to complete her star charts and to transfigure insane objects into other insane objects. She was proud to report that she was definitely showing improvement in Charms. She had found a new compassion for it since she had told Professor Flitwick what was going on. Snape was still being as nasty to her as possible but for some reason now she didn't care. She tried to forget his lessons existed and she found that if she was quiet and did as he asked, he left her alone though he still managed to comment on her and Colin's Potion every week without fail. This was old news and even the Slytherins were failing to laugh though she noticed that Monique's eyes sparkled when it was mentioned though she wouldn't make eye contact with Ginny who could not fathom why. Monique had always tried to make Ginny feel uneasy by glaring at her and once it had worked but now Ginny wasn't affected by things like that. She had her O.W.L.S. to concentrate on and she figured that even if she had her friends talking to her, she wouldn't have the time for them anyway.

As she thought of them she looked up to see Harry, Ron and Hermione laughing over something Ron had said. She saw him shooting looks at Hermione who was openly laughing with him and he relaxed. She couldn't figure out what they'd be laughing at but she was glad to see that they, at least, were happy. If anything she wanted them to be happy, not to be feeling what she was at that moment.

The week passed by fairly quickly and before Ginny knew it she found herself standing on the edge of the Quidditch pitch, staring at all the people that had turned up for the game. She wheeled around and as she watched, she noticed that even some of the Hufflepuff supporters were sporting red and gold scarves. Frowning she looked to Hermione who discreetly turned her head and stared determinedly in the other direction. Ginny then remembered that Hermione wasn't talking to her for a reason unknown to her. Looking down again, Ginny shoved her hands into the pockets of her Quidditch Robes and stood silently waiting for the signal to begin play.

"Annnnnnd they're off!" Dennis Creevey shouted a few minutes later as the shouts of the students in the Quidditch stands reached a deafening roar. Ginny rose into the air with the other players and took up her usual position of Chaser, hovering mid way into playing height, hanging back until she was needed. Which, she hoped desperately wouldn't be the case.

As Ginny hovered in the air, she heard her name being chanted from the stands. She looked around at the Gryffindors and they cheered and waved their scarves energetically, calling out encouraging things to her. Ginny sat dumbfounded on her broom though she offered a weak smile in return. She turned her head slowly back towards the game and tried to ignore the chants increasing in volume as she floated lazily. Ginny soon found herself listening, as usual to the commentary coming from Colin's brother, Dennis. Though she certainly wasn't expecting what came out of his mouth.

"I'm sure a lot of you have turned up today to watch the stunning Miss Ginny Weasley do her stuff! I know I sure did, not just 'cos I'm commentator either." Dennis said and Ginny whipped her head around to look at him and shot him a confused look and he waved. She waved back slowly, wondering why on earth he was waving to her in the first place.

"Look at that folks, I got me a wave from our own little celebrity." He said and coughed slightly no doubt due to a look from Professor McGonagall and began to commentate on the game at hand. Ginny shook her head and turned back to watch the game. _Strange._ She thought as she watched the Quaffle being passed back and forth between Amanda and Sandy and Ginny soon found that she was listening to Dennis rather than paying attention to the game.

"And Noonan throws the Quaffle to Scott and Scott passes to Weasley who---shrieks and drops the bloody thing! That is to say _Quaffle_ Sorry Prof. McGonagall." He said though he couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "What is Weasley doing? She can't have dropped the Quaffle. She better not have dropped the Quaffle." He said and Ginny could tell that he must have been shaking his head in disbelief. Sneaking a quick look in his direction, she found that she was right.

Ginny flew down, red faced to fetch the Quaffle and threw it off to Amanda who looked at her in shock. If anyone had the right to be shocked, it was Ginny. She had no idea why they would suddenly include her in the game, as though she was capable of helping the team in anyway. When had she shown any skills that were worth using in a game like this? Sure, she practised fine but she still liked to stay in the shadows, the team knew that. She was only a back up…only to be used in dire circumstances…wasn't she?

The crowd that had been previously cheering her name, booed loudly and she found herself trying very hard to hold back the tears that were getting dangerously close to flowing down her face. She looked up and saw Ron call out something to Harry who merely shrugged and shot Ginny a disappointed look. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, flying to the other end of the pitch.

"Ginny! Look out!" Ginny turned in the direction of the voice and was forced into a Sloth Grip Roll. She hung upside down in shock until she was sure the Bludger had kept going in the opposite direction. She climbed onto her broom again and sat very still, trying to ignore the people in the crowd that were now booing.

_I nearly fell to my death but do they worry? Of course they bloody don't! _Ginny thought to herself angrily but she didn't give any indication if thinking such things.

The crowds booing began to ring in Ginny's ears. They wouldn't stop chanting, it was continuous. It hurt her ears. She wouldn't be able to keep playing if they kept it up. She had no idea how Ron had survived through the whole 'Weasley Is Our King' ordeal. That was positively awful. She knew this wasn't nearly as bad, but to her it felt ten times worse. She had enough trouble playing as it was in front of an audience. Didn't they understand? It was so awful.

The game continued on as slowly as time could possibly go. Ginny kept checking her watch and she was sure that she could hear the ticking of it above the shouts of the crowd. Each second seemed to take twenty minutes. Why was this happening? Ginny ducked her head so she didn't have to look her teammates in the face. Just as she did so, she was shouted at again but before she could look up, she was hit in the hand by a bludger and Ginny felt the bones in her fingers shatter. She held her hand to her chest and bit back her yell of pain. It wouldn't do for her to yell out loud. Besides, it would surely draw more attention to her and that was the last thing she needed.

Luckily the game ended soon afterwards and the team descended to the ground, Harry having once again, caught the snitch in record time. Ginny was just glad to have the game over but instead of heading to the change rooms she ran and hid under the stands at the edge of the pitch. She knew what would happen if she headed back there. Harry would bombard her with questions, demanding to know what had happened. He'd yell at her for being so stupid. She just knew he'd want her off the team, though she didn't have a problem with that at present. All she wanted to do was hide from the world. How could the team have humiliated her like that? She never played…she could but she didn't, she didn't want the crowd cheering for her like they had been…though why they had been was still a mystery, though she realised soon that they hadn't cheered for long.

"Hiding, Weasley?" a voice said into her ear and she jumped and turned to see the sneering face of Draco Malfoy.

"No." she said defiantly and crossed her arms across her chest, jutting out her chin and turning away from him.

"Dismal game today. _Really_ awful. Worst you've done in _ages._" He said stressing the word ages and Ginny grimaced. He was right; the last few games of Quidditch had been normal but this one…absolutely dreadful.

"Weasel is even playing better than you now. That must lower the self-esteem…having that git better than you at…well anything really." He said smirking and Ginny felt her face heat up. Soon after, she felt dizzy and felt the extreme need to bring bodily harm to the boy standing next to her but she held back and instead of hitting him, walked in the directions of the change rooms. She figured that the team would be gone by now. It had been an hour since the game and none of them hung around for longer than ten minutes.

She walked as fast as she could, ignoring the taunts that Malfoy threw at her as she sped towards the small rooms situated at the side of the pitch. She pushed the door, revelling in the resounding noise it made as it banged open. She walked over to her side of the room and pulled off her robes and shoved them in the locker that had her name scrawled on it and slammed it shut.

"Stupid git." She muttered and slammed her fist into the locker, banging it open again. She cursed at it and heard a noise from the other side of the room. She popped her head around the corner and smiled.

"Well hello Potter." She said, leaning against the side of the lockers and looking Harry Potter up and down.

"Ginny! What are you doing in here?" he asked standing stock still, a towel tied loosely around his waist. He saw that her eyes were fixed on it and he clutched it tightly to himself with one hand. Ginny watched delightedly as he flushed. Though he didn't look as embarrassed as she would have expected.

"If you ask me if I like what I see…I'll have to say…yes." Ginny said grinning wickedly and after a moment Harry grinned slightly. He walked over to his locker and opened it and looked at Ginny expectantly. "What?" she asked, still smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"Turn around." He said and twirled a finger in the air.

"Oh, I don't think so." She said shaking her head and crossing her arms. "The view's fine from where I'm standing." She said nodding appreciatively.

"Ginny…" he said and walked towards her and she mimicked his movements.

"Harry…" she mocked and they soon found that they were standing very close. Harry looked down at her and he picked up his glasses from the bench and made to put them on but Ginny took them from his hand and held them and looked at him with her head cocked to the side.

"You should get your vision magically corrected…its such a shame for you to hide such beautiful eyes behind these." She said, waving his glasses in the air. Harry merely coughed and held out his hand but Ginny shook her head. "Allow me." she said and placed his glasses on his nose, and using one finger, pushed them up slowly so that they were back in place on his face and Harry adjusted them himself, though from habit rather than discomfort.

"Well…I uh…" Harry stammered and cleared his throat though as Ginny waited, he didn't seem able to say anything more.

"Mmm?" Ginny asked absently, tapping her fingers on his chest and staring into his eyes questioningly.

"I…need to…erm…kinda change." He said, indicating the towel and Ginny nodded, grinning once again at the sight of it.

"Sure. See you later Harry." She said, stepping away from him and heading towards the door. Harry raised his hand in a wave and began to pull his shirt over his head slightly disappointed but was soon assaulted from behind and found Ginny standing next to him again and before he could respond, she'd stood on the tips of her toes and with one hand to his face, kissed him solid on the lips. Harry gaped at her and began to stammer again, feeling the taste of Ginny against his lips. He settled for touching his mouth with his fingers and grinning widely as she left the room at a run. The last thing he heard was a triumphant giggle that he knew belonged to the girl that tasted of honey and sugar.

Ginny sat in the Library, reading through her Transfiguration textbook and mimicking the wand movements in the air with her wand absently. She started as she produced a rubber duck out of mid air when she was trying to work out how to transfigure a bat into a rat. She picked it up and squeezed it, making it emit a loud 'Quack!' needless to say she dropped it rather quickly and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. They hadn't.

Getting frustrated with the fact that she wasn't getting any of her homework right, Ginny stood and packed her things and headed back to the Common Room alone.

Walking through the Common Room she saw many eyes turn to her and figured it had something to do with the Quidditch match. She kept her head bent and headed straight for the stairs. She made it to her dormitory without being stopped by anyone but she didn't really expect anything else. She threw her school bag so that it slid across the floor and came to a stop under her bed and she threw herself upon it and lay still with her face in the pillow and screamed. Really screamed. Then she flipped over onto her back and sighed happily.

"Feel better?" a voice asked and Ginny's head snapped over to see Sachelle sitting on her bed.

"Oh…I um…I'm really sorry. I didn't realise anyone else was in here." She said, smiling apologetically.

"No problem. Quite amusing to watch really." She said, flipping a page of her magazine.

"I thought you didn't like to read those superficial things?" Ginny asked her, pointing to the magazine and Sachelle dropped it with a grin to reveal her Charms textbook. Ginny smiled and nodded. Lying down crossways on her bed, resting her head on her folded arms.

"So what's bothering you today?" Sachelle asked putting her book down and laying the same on her bed so that she was facing Ginny.

Ginny just shrugged and offered no more information. Sachelle laughed and spoke "Like that is it?" Ginny nodded and Sachelle slid her tin out from under her bed over to Ginny who took a Chocolate Frog and slid it back and mumbled her thanks as she bit the Frog's head off aggressively, grinning.

"So…are you going into Hogsmeade this weekend?" Sachelle asked Ginny and she shook her head then she stopped mid shake.

"Actually…I think I might. I could do with a treat." She said and shook her head positively this time.

"I'm going. With my charming posse." Sachelle said rolling her eyes.

"Should be fun." Ginny said, biting the leg off her frog and watched as it squirmed uncomfortably.

"Yes…anyway. So how's the progress with Harry, Ron and Hermione?" she asked Ginny who frowned.

"Non existent." Ginny said and Sachelle gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry Ginny. I know how much they mean to you and it's simply awful that they are doing this to you…I wish there was something I could do to help." She said and studied her nails then looked at them with a frown on her face. "Stupid posse." She muttered under her breath and Ginny smiled, knowing that she was obviously cursing them for her looking at her nails, something all of them did constantly. A habit Sachelle had obviously picked up by mistake.

Just then a giggling group of girls entered the room and Sachelle sent Ginny a look and Ginny nodded swiftly.

"I'll just b-be going then." She muttered, pretending to be shy as they only knew her to be and she left the room in a flurry of red hair. Once outside the dorm she sighed.

_Now where am I going to go? _She thought as she wandered down the stairs. She ended up sitting on a lounge chair by the fire and staring into the flames, watching them dance lazily in the fireplace. She sat for a long while and when she finally tore her eyes away from the fire; she was met with the eyes of Harry Potter.

He was sitting with Ron and Hermione who were talking in hushed voices. Harry looked at her a second longer and snapped his attention back to the conversation at hand. Ginny frowned, wondering what he possibly could have been looking at her for. She shrugged to herself and drummed her fingertips on the edge of the chair. She looked around the Common Room and observed each person closely.

Colin was sitting with his brother Dennis who was talking animatedly to which Colin was nodding at the right intervals though at closer inspection Ginny could tell that he wasn't listening to a word Dennis said, though he didn't seem to be bothered by this at all. Ginny caught Colin roll his eyes and sigh, leaning his chin on his hand he caught her eye and rolled his own again and smiled then seemed to realise that he wasn't supposed to acknowledge her he looked away and gave his complete attention to Dennis. Ginny sighed, her head drooping and turned her eyes to the next person.

Neville Longbottom. Her Yule Ball partner. She smiled. Neville was such a nice person it was a shame that he didn't have more friends. In a way he was like Ginny, people didn't seem to notice them but were perfectly happy to tell them off when they did something that wasn't appropriate. Neville was currently holding his Quill between his teeth and poking a strange looking plant. Something like a cross between a flower and a weed. Ginny wasn't sure which but Neville seemed to know as he smiled when the plant snapped at him and covered his out stretched hand with a sticky looking substance. He scribbled something down on a piece of parchment in front of him and turned back to the plant.

Seamus and Dean were involved in a heavy competition of Gobstones and Seamus had just been hit in the face with foul smelling liquid from Dean's set of 'stones. He spat out a mouthful of it and vanished the liquid with his wand without a second thought and they continued to play, laughing as the other was squirted in the face.

A shriek of laughter drew Ginny's attention to a group of first year girls who were laughing and pointing at a piece of parchment and shooting glances a group of first year boys sitting a few tables away.

"Shh!" they'll hear you a small girl with dark hair said urgently and sliding down in her seat, obviously hoping to hide.

"Oh Tommy!" one of the girls called out and as Ginny watched, a boy from the next table grew steadily redder though he didn't look over.

"Nice letter!" one of the others said which set them off into another round of laughter.

Ginny smiled, wishing her first year had been like that, care free, not having to worry about anything but whether that boy who smiled at you fancied you or not. Her smile falling from her face, Ginny realised that she had never had that. She'd had to grow up so fast, after the Chamber events. She didn't feel like she'd really lived her life at Hogwarts, always in the shadows. As she watched, the boy called Tommy stood up bravely and walked over to the girls and spoke to the brunette.

"All right! I fancy you! So what?" he said the last part to the giggling girls who shut up immediately. The brunette sat up a little in her chair and smiled.

"Really?" she asked, her cheeks very rosy.

"Yes." He said and he bent down to her height and pecked her rather quickly on the cheek and turned and left.

Of course, seconds later the girls were laughing once again. This time including the girl that had just, by the look of her, received her first kiss from a boy.

Suddenly Ginny felt very old.

"--and then she had the audacity to say—Harry, are you listening to me?" Hermione asked the boy who was sitting opposite her but didn't receive an answer. "Harry….Harry!" she said a little louder and he looked at her at once. "What is wrong with you? You've been so distant tonight." She said, worry evident in her voice.

Harry merely waved her off and said that he was fine though he knew he was lying to her. He just couldn't get that moment in the Quidditch Change Rooms out of his mind. He hadn't told anyone about it for the simple fact that he wasn't exactly sure what had happened himself. One moment he was stepping out of the shower, the next Ginny Weasley was kissing him! She'd been acting so strange lately; he didn't know how to handle it. He had enough trouble trying to decipher Hermione sometimes and she was one of his best friends.

He tuned back into what Hermione was saying but found his sight wandering to Ginny again who was sitting in an armchair, her chin in her hands looking very upset. Feeling sorry for her he stood up and Ron and Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"I was just…nothing." He said as he saw Ron throw Ginny an annoyed look. Harry sat down again, sighing as he did so.

"You want to talk to her don't you Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, looking very much like she wanted too herself.

"Well—"

"No! She needs to be taught a lesson!" Ron said grumpily. "She can't say things like that and get away with them, Hermione." He said a little more nicely but it was easy to tell that he was miffed.

"It's been weeks Ron! This is getting ridiculous, you know it is. Look how unhappy she is, it's not healthy!" she argued and Ron looked at his sister, seeming to melt though apparently it wasn't going to happen.

"I don't care." He said folding his arms defiantly.

"Ron, it's very sweet that you want to protect me. I appreciate it dearly and I—"

"I'm not doing this for _you._" He said, looking annoyed again.

Hermione huffed though she just shrugged at Harry. It was obvious to both of them that Ron _was _doing it for her, even if he didn't want to admit it. Hermione thought it was rather sweet, though she wasn't about to announce this to Ron who had pulled out his Chess set.

Harry looked over at Ginny again who met his eyes and stood up. For a split second he thought she was going to march over and ask him why he kept looking at her. His heart pounding, he braced himself for her biting words but they never came. She walked passed their table silently and climbed the stairs to the Girl's dormitories.

Deflating like the ball Ginny had punchered, Harry followed her up to his own dorm minutes later.

_Why was he staring at me like that? I didn't have anything on my face, I checked. _Ginny thought to herself as she climbed into her bed that night. _Maybe he wants to talk to me. Though I don't know why. Perhaps he's beginning to forgive me. Perhaps he—Oh stop it. It doesn't matter what he was doing. I don't have time to worry about Harry. It's my O.W.L. year, that's all I should be concerned about these days. _

Ginny rolled over and fell asleep almost instantly, looking forward to the next day. She really did need something to cheer her up.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! I realise it's been absolutely ages since I last updated. There is a reason for that. I wasn't going to continue posting this story as I'm not completely happy with it. I seem to have lost my knack for writing, but I am in the process of trying to get it back so I decided that a step on the way to getting it would be to post a chapter of this story. I am on holidays at present, so I will try to get a few more chapters up and get people interested in the story again.

Cheers,

Nesserz.


	8. Chapter 8

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Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 8 -- 

Walking down the crowded streets of Hogsmeade, Ginny tightened the scarf around her neck and pushed open the door to _Flourish and Blotts._ She needed a new Quill desperately, the one she was using had belonged to her father when he was a boy, or so he'd said. She had a sneaking suspicion that he was just teasing her, as so many people had once found fun to do.

Not anymore. She thought miserably. At least when they were making fun they were talking to me. She thought to herself wryly. 

Ginny had woken up early and was one of the first people to board the carriages bound for Hogsmeade. She'd had a carriage to herself and had contented herself with staring out the window at the countryside. It seemed like only a few minutes before she arrived along with the other carriages. She'd spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione amongst the crowds but had long since given up trying to talk to them. Well Ron and Hermione at least. Harry was another story. He seemed like he wanted to talk to her, to spend time with her but he didn't want to leave the other two. Ginny wasn't bothered; she had things she wanted to do that she'd rather do alone.

After leaving _Flourish and Blotts_, she headed to visit_ Gidgeon's_ _Gifts and Gadgets_. She wanted to buy Colin a new camera as she'd noticed that he looked a little lost without one. She figured she could use it as a peace offering; anything to have him talking to her again. She hadn't realised how wonderful Colin was to her until he'd stopped talking to her. Of course, she'd been appreciative of him talking to her and as far as she could tell, genuinely taking an interest in her friendship. She didn't like to admit it, but Colin had seemed down since they'd fought and Ginny couldn't help but think it was because of her and if there was anyway that she could make him smile again, she was going to try.

"How much?" Ginny asked, her eyes widening slightly in shock.

"Twelve Galleons." The salesclerk said snootily, looking down his perfect nose at Ginny who cowered slightly.

"I…can I come back for it?" she asked, blushing, wishing that she didn't have to admit that she didn't have enough money on her.

"I suppose." He said, taking the camera from her hands and polishing it as though she had dirtied it.

Ginny left the shop and was halfway to Gringotts when she realised that she didn't have any money in her bank account. Not enough for the Camera anyway and she desperately needed it. She wandered around the shops, feeling depressed now more than ever. She'd finally had the brilliant idea of buying Colin a new camera and it had backfired horribly on her. There was only one thing she could do to get the camera that day…

"Ron…" Ginny said timidly, having found her brother in _Quality Quidditch Supplies_, laughing heartily with Harry at a pair of gloves that claimed to search out the Snitch for a seeker who wasn't exactly up to par on his gaming skills.

Ron turned around with a smile on his face, obviously not recognising the voice because he scowled a moment later. He made to move away but Harry put out a hand, holding him in place and he nodded to Ginny which made Ron frown even more but he stopped and faced his sister for the first time in weeks.

"What do you want?" he asked her coldly. Ginny felt the sudden urge to cry but held it in.

"I need…some…er…money." She said, each word getting quieter as it slipped from her mouth. She ducked her head as Ron laughed.

"Oh ho! My birthday money I suppose? What do you need it _for_?" he asked as he glared at the top of her head.

"I…can't exactly tell you." Ginny said wishing that she could but she knew he wouldn't give her money to buy a camera for Colin. Though she supposed, he wasn't likely to lend it to her without a reason either.

"Well in that case…no!" he said and broke free from Harry's grip and stalked to the back of the shop.

Ginny shot Harry an embarrassed look and made to leave the shop before she embarrassed herself further.

"Ginny! Hey, wait." Harry said and he put his hand into his pocket and extracted his moneybag. Ginny's eyes widened and she held up her hands in front of her.

"No you don't. I'm not taking money from you." She said before she could stop herself and say it politely. Harry didn't seem to notice her rudeness though.

"Take it, I don't need it. I'm sure whatever you need to buy is important because I doubt you would have approached Ron if it wasn't." he said quietly, pulling her aside so Ron couldn't seem them from the back of the room.

"I won't take it and yes, it is important. Thanks anyway Harry." Ginny said making her way out of the shop faster than she'd ever moved in her life.

"Is she gone?" Ron asked from Harry's elbow.

"Yes." He said sighing, watching as Ginny disappeared down the street.

"Good." Ron said grudgingly.

"You know, for someone who was seriously worried about the well being of his sister, you aren't being all that nice to her."

"She can take care of herself."

"That wasn't your attitude all those weeks ago. So suddenly she's old enough to deal with being ignored and neglected?" Harry asked Ron, frowning at him.

"Ok, so I may have been a little harsh on her." Ron said as he too left the shop. Harry shook his head and followed his somewhat clueless best friend.

Ginny sat down on a bench outside of _Gidgeon's_and sighed. She only needed five more Galleons. Maybe if she wished hard enough they'd appear in her purse. She wished and peeked into it and found that it still held only seven Galleons. She hadn't really wanted to spend that much money as it was her savings for the school year but if that's what it took…Ginny peeked into her purse again and squeaked. The five Galleons that she needed were sitting right there, within reach. She poked one with a finger and found that it felt the same as any other Galleon. She looked around quickly but couldn't see anyone that she knew. Without thinking anymore of it, she ran into the shop and grabbed the camera she had chosen an hour earlier and put it onto the clerk's desk and smiled as he rung up her purchase on his gold cash register. She watched as it expelled purple smoke and a gold coloured receipt.

"Keep that in case of a refund." He said to her, bored as he turned to serve the next customer. Ginny grinned at his back and took her purchase from the counter and left the shop, swinging her bag around gleefully.

Ginny hadn't been in such a good mood since…before that awful Potion's lesson she'd had many weeks ago now. She couldn't believe how long it had been since that awful day. She hoped that this little surge of happiness would last; she could do with a little happiness in her life. She hadn't realised how withdrawn she'd become until she saw that the girls in her dorm weren't even scared of her anymore. (She had an inkling that they didn't even notice her at all anyway.) With a sudden thought Ginny decided that it didn't matter if Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't want to be her friends. She didn't need them or anyone else for that matter. Sure, she would talk to them but she wouldn't go out of her way to talk to them anymore...or more correctly when they started talking to her again, if ever.

Ginny walked towards the three Broomsticks, realising how thirsty she was from all the walking she'd done of Hogsmeade that morning. As she opened the door she was knocked off her feet by an unknown force. All she knew was that there was a sickening crunch of metal and plastic. A sound that she recalled hearing once before. She looked down in dismay and saw that the newly bought camera now looked like nothing more than scrap metal. Ginny felt dizzy, like she was going to fall but since she was already down, it didn't last long though she saw the popping in front of her eyes as she looked up into the ever cold eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"You bloody idiot! I payed good money for this!" she yelled, indicating the bag from _Gidgeon's_.

"Like you would know what money is, let alone _good _money." He said and motioned for his cronies to laugh, which they did, twenty seconds too late.

"Shut up Malfoy. I should make you pay for this." She muttered and he laughed.

"I already have." He said staring at her and she frowned then made to open the door again but Malfoy held it shut with the palm of his hand.

"Let me in you git!" Ginny spat in his face and he recoiled.

"Keep a safe distance would you Weasley? I don't want you to contaminate me." he said laughing which set the other two off. Sick of Malfoy's taunts Ginny rounded on the one she thought was called Crabbe.

"Why do you even bother laughing, I highly doubt you even know what 'contaminate' means!" she said as the other one, Goyle, laughed. She rounded on him too.

"And you…what happened to you, did your mother drop you on your head when she saw the monster she'd given birth to? I mean, Merlin, you're uglier than Snape and that's certainly saying something." Ginny said as both Crabbe and Goyle laughed again and after what seemed minutes Goyle's smiled faded and he frowned at her, as though deep in thought.

"Hey…" he said gruffly and cracked his knuckles. Ginny looked down and laughed.

"Don't even try it." She said as she finally made her way around Malfoy to push open the door to the Pub.

The three boys stared after her. Though Malfoy's stare clearly showed that he was impressed with her, though it soon vanished due to the fact that someone may have been able to see it. He looked left and right then motioned for his thugs who were still scratching their heads in confusion and they walked off down the street, leaving scared people in their wake.

Meanwhile, Ginny sat down at her table and after ordering herself a Butterbeer she turned her Camera bag upside down and sighed as the contents spilled and rolled every which way across the table. She caught a screw as it headed for the edge of the table and held it up to her face. Ginny couldn't' remember ever being so angry. She'd payed for the Camera and it was going to help her set things straight with Colin again. Now that was ruined. All because of Malfoy.

Ginny pulled her wand and waved it around absently whilst muttering. _'Stupid Git.'_

"I don't believe that it the incantation." Hermione's voice came from behind her. Ginny turned in her seat and flushed lightly.

"No, no I don't think it is either." she said quietly as she took a sip from her Butterbeer as Hermione stood next to her awkwardly. "Can…can I help you with anything Hermione?" Ginny asked her hopefully though she didn't think it showed in her voice. Hermione started slightly as she'd been staring at the table in thought.

"What? Oh…Oh! Yes. I came over to inform you that we have another study session tomorrow night in the library." She said and looking as though she'd much like to sit with Ginny, she turned and walked back to Ron and Harry who were sharing a table and chatting with Neville quietly.

Ginny watched them for a while and during that while Harry looked over to her many times. She wondered vaguely why but didn't think too much of it as she had bigger problems. She'd discovered that '_Reparo_' wasn't doing anything to the camera except making it flash in her face and rendering her blind for several minutes at a time.

Blinking rapidly, Ginny jumped slightly as she saw someone sitting across from her.

"Luna?" she queried of the person who now sat in front of her.

"Yes, tis me." she said as she clicked her fingers above her head for a waitress. Ginny watched amused as her clicking was awarded with a Butterbeer.

Ginny had never seen anything like this before and asked Luna about it.

"Daddy and I attended a Muggle restaurant once and that is how they order themselves drinks. Quite clever really isn't it?" she asked though she didn't look as though she expected an answer. Ginny merely nodded and scooped the demolished camera pieces back into their bag and resolved to work on it until it functioned like a camera should.

Ginny found that sitting with Luna really was quite a boring affair and excused herself soon after to the bathroom. She did what she had to do and washed her face to wake herself up and she stood staring at her reflection and scrutinizing it. She really was too pale and those freckles! Could they be more noticeable? Ginny tugged at her hair and decided that was the part that she'd most like to change. Grinning wickedly she pulled out her wand…

* * *

A/N: Just another chapter to keep the story going. I regret ever stopping updating. Sorry guys! 


	9. Chapter 9

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Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 9 -- 

The next day Ginny walked through the Great Hall with many eyes on her. She grinned widely as she walked, wondering if anyone would say anything. She sat down a minute later and pulled a plate of toast towards her and her thought was soon answered.

"Wow Ginny! Your hair." Seamus commented, a piece of bacon suspended on his fork. Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and leaned forward.

"You like it?" she said, sneaking a lightning fast look at Lavender who was watching them with jealousy written all over her face.

"Yeah, it's great!" Seamus said conversationally, recovering himself and eating his bacon. Ginny looked around herself and saw many people still staring at her jet-black hair. She'd decided in the bathroom at the Three Broomsticks that she desperately needed a change and what better change to make than to her awful red hair? So she'd used the charm that she'd heard her mother use to cover up her…er…'greys' back at the Burrow.

She hadn't counted on such an obvious response from the Hogwart's students but she had to admit, this was nice, to have them notice her… even if she had to change her appearance. You would think that red hair would make you stand out but Ginny had discovered that this obviously wasn't the case.

Ten minutes Ginny wasn't feeling so wonderful. People were _still_ staring, still ignoring the food sitting on their forks. She'd noticed with satisfaction that Ron had been one of those people, his mouth had hung open and he had ran a hand through his own red locks and shook his head, keeping his hand on his head. She could tell that he thought she was being stupid but she found that she really didn't care. Hermione and Harry had exchanged looks, Hermione's unreadable and Harry's one of interest though as Ron caught his eye, he shook his head in supposed dislike. Ginny grinned at him and after that he refused to look her in the face. She's shook her head, amused and continued talking to Seamus. Mostly about Quidditch and how the Quidditch Cup would be coming up soon and how they'd need to be on form to win the game. Ginny wasn't worried; she knew that they'd win. What, with Harry as a seeker and her as a Chaser, they couldn't lose.

She knew she shouldn't think of herself so highly but what did it matter, no one else thought like that, she might as well.

Ginny sat in Charms and listened intently to Professor Flitwick, hoping that maybe he would mention how you were to repair a broken camera though she mused he wasn't likely too as they were working on Shielding Charms. The only thing good that happened that lesson was that Ginny was able to shield herself against a torrent of Stink Sap sent towards her by the Professor which had earned her twenty points for Gryffindor as she was the only one paying attention as everyone else was staring at her hair.

By the end of Transfiguration, after enduring the same thing Ginny was beginning to think that the hair thing hadn't been such a good idea. She ducked into the girls' bathroom on the second floor and was greeted with Myrtle floating ominously above the hand basin.

"Shove of would you Myrtle?" Ginny asked as she whipped out her wand and tried to remember the counter charm for the Charm on her hair.

"No need to be so rude!" the ghost answered indignantly.

"I have every need. I've been goggled at all day for no apparent reason." Ginny said irritably as she remembered the counter charm and applied it to her hair.

"Couldn't be because you've got a massive green wart on your nose could it?" Myrtle asked gleefully. Ginny felt the end of her nose but found nothing and turned to the ghost questioningly.

"Well you've been acting a right witch lately haven't you? Nasty witches have warts, or so that Hermione Granger says." She said, wrinkling her nose.

"Not a big fan of Hermione's hey?" she asked grinning for Myrtle looked as though she might have been the smartest witch in her year when she'd been alive.

"No." she said as she let out a piercing squeal and dived head first into the nearest toilet.

Ginny shrugged and checked that her hair was back to normal before heading towards the library.

"When treating someone for a Crup bite, you must make sure that you have—"

Ginny was sitting across from Hermione in the Library as her former friend explained what one should do when some idiot had presented themselves for a Crup to take a chunk out of.

_Honestly, if a person is that stupid, they deserve the pain they get. _Ginny thought as she listened to Hermione read from the textbook.

She tapped her fingernails on the table to a steady rhythm that only she could hear and smiled gently as she saw that Hermione was getting annoyed. She soon stopped however because she knew that Hermione would leave if she got to frustrated. And having her leave wouldn't help Ginny at all.

'If the pain persists, the bitten person should be accompanied to St Mungo's Hospital of—"

"Do you still hate me, Hermione?" Ginny asked suddenly, not even sure why she was doing so. Of course Hermione still hated her.

"What? I don't hate you, I never have!" she said, clearly shocked.

"Oh." Was all that Ginny said, looking down at the table and tracing something that looked to have been written there years before.

"I just didn't like those things that you said to me, that was all. I've been wanting to talk to you for ages but Ron wouldn't let me." she said, biting her lip and looking as though she knew how stupid it sounded that she hadn't done something just because Ron had said so, since when had she obeyed his every idea?

"You didn't like the things…I…" Ginny started but soon trailed off. "You mean you haven't been talking to me because Ron didn't want you too?" she asked, her voice rising with each word.

"Well…I…you see—"

"No, I don't bloody see! How could you do this to me, how could you completely ignore me because of one stupid thing I supposedly said?" Ginny said, extremely upset now that tears were pouring down her face. She felt so hurt that Hermione had wanted to talk to her but hadn't just because her brother had said so. "What, has Ron got you wrapped around his finger now has he?" Ginny asked, frowning sadly.

"No!" Hermione said indignantly. Though she didn't say anymore.

"I can't believe—"

"Be quiet!" came a harsh voice next to their table. "If you wish to sob hysterically like this, do it outside!" Madam Pince said irritably and Ginny, having had enough of being interrupted snapped at the woman.

"Oh go snog a book you old bag!" she said and turned back to Hermione who was staring opened mouthed at a fuming Madam Pince who had stalked away but was watching them closely through narrowed eyes.

"Ginny...I think we should take this outside." Hermione said gently, placing a hand on Ginny's arm, who recoiled.

"Don't touch me! I don't _want_ to take this outside. I've said all that I want too." She said, gathering her things and leaving the library as loudly as she could as Madam Pince was still watching her. She poked her tongue out at her for effect, slamming the heavy oak doors as she left.

Ginny stormed down to the Great Hall as it would soon be time for Dinner and she was starving. She walked through the door, slamming them open as she had done to the Library ones. People turned to look at her but went back to their conversations quickly.

Just as Ginny was about to walk passed the Slytherin table Draco Malfoy called out to her, making a rude comment about her hair and she whirled around and stalked over to him slowly, thinking about what she was about to do. He looked slightly scared and seemed to be regretting his comment as the last time he'd said something nasty to her, she'd thrown a bewitched ball at his head. She said him lift a hand to his nose in recollection and she stifled a laugh. Once she reached him, she leant down and paused in front of him before kissing him slowly but surely on the lips. He soon struggled underneath her but there was no denying that he'd kissed her back, if only for a second or two. Ginny stood and grinned at him. He jumped up so that he towered over her.

"Why you little--" he said, wiping at his mouth disgustedly, before being cut off by Ginny.

"Watch it Drakie, I'm sure Mumsie wouldn't approve of what you're about to say." Ginny said, shaking her finger in the air, as though she were scolding him.

"Don't you speak of my mother, Weasley." He said coldly, staring at her nastily though Ginny didn't' bat an eyelid.

"Why ever not?" Ginny asked, a mock surprised look on her face.

"Because I said so."

"Like that's a good enough reason…besides, you know you liked it." she said, winking seductively at him then continuing on to the Gryffindor table, leaving him to stare after her.

"What the hell are you playing at Ginny?" Ron asked her as soon as she sat down.

"Oh so of course _now _you talk to me, when it's important to you. Maybe I don't feel like answering your questions today." Ginny said, taking a bite of her roast potato.

"You bloody well will whether you like it or not."

"Now now Ronald. That's not the tone to take. It won't get you anywhere." Ginny said chewing slowly and deliberately.

"I thought you liked me! Why'd you go and kiss _him _for?" Harry interrupted, apparently unaware of the Gryffindors sitting around him… at least until he caught Ron and Hermione staring at him. He flushed and pulled at the neck of his robes. "What I mean to say is…well…er…you know what I mean."

"Deflate your head Potter! Despite what you might think, my whole world does _not _revolve around you." Ginny said, continuing to eat as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

Harry's face fell.

Ginny approached a lonely figure sitting on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower. "Boo." She said softly and the person jumped. When they saw who it was they scowled.

Ginny sat down on the opposite side of the ledge and faced Harry who was staring down at the grounds moodily.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she leant dangerously out over the ledge, the top half of her body hanging out of the window. Harry grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Don't do that. You're brother's would never forgive me if I let you die."

"You make it sound as though you're my keeper." Ginny said, annoyed.

"No, but if Harry Potter can't save a person, then no one can." He said bitterly.

"Oh I get it, we're having a little 'I'm-Harry-Potter-and-no-one-loves-me' day are we?'" Ginny said, swinging her legs out over the ledge. Harry made to grab her but decided against it at the last minute.

"No, I'm just…"

"Admit it, you are."

"I'm not!" he said forcibly and several Owls flew out of the rafters and out the window they were looking through.

"What crawled up your arse and died recently then?" Ginny asked him, pulling out her wand and waving it around, making purple and gold streamers fly through the air lazily. Harry didn't reply but pulled out his own wand and shot flame at her streamers, making them curl into ash and float away on the wind.

"Party pooper." She said as she made more and more streamers float through the air. "So what the hell's wrong with you?" she asked him again. He sighed and leant against the stone cobbled wall and looked at her as she drew her wand through the air, writing her name in cursive purple writing.

"You kissed _Malfoy_." He said, stressing the word 'Malfoy' and Ginny laughed at him.

"So what? It's no big deal. I didn't think you'd care." She said shrugging and Harry blanched.

"Wouldn't care? Why wouldn't I care?" he asked her as though it were obvious. Then after a moment's thought added, "It's _Malfoy_." Whilst screwing up his nose. Ginny laughed again and rolled her eyes at Harry's comments.

"It's just a _kiss, _Harry. Nothing more, nothing less." She said and she hopped off the ledge and walked the short distance slowly to Harry and she leant down and after a short pause, placed a hand on his cheek and looking him in the eyes, kissed him, just as she had Malfoy. As Harry realised what was going on and tried to reciprocate, Ginny pulled back and smiled.

"See? Just a kiss. I'll see you around Harry." She said, standing up and leaving the room quietly but not before winking at Harry.

Before he had a chance to call her back, she'd gone. He sighed and leant his head against the cool stonewall and resumed staring down onto the grounds, hearing her departing words echo through his head over and over. _It's just a kiss…_ Though Harry's mind was reeling at what he'd just experienced, he shook his head and smiled slightly.

"Girls." He muttered.

* * *

A/N: Here we go! 


	10. Chapter 10

­

Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 10 -- 

Ginny sat on her bed, staring at an object sitting in front of her happily. It was the recently repaired camera she'd bought in Hogsmeade. She'd read through her Charms textbook and had found the perfect spell to put it back together. It had taken her a good hour but it was worth it. The look on Colin's face would be priceless. Maybe she should even take a photo? A souvenir for him. Ginny smiled and picking up her wand she wrapped it neatly and tied a blue bow onto the top.

Hopping off her bed she left her dormitory and proceeded up the stairs to the Fifth years' dorms. On the way she passed Harry and Ron who glared at her and kept walking. Harry nodded to her slightly though he frowned as he did so. Ginny didn't have the time to decipher why; she needed to talk to Colin.

She stopped in the doorway to the Fifth years, and taking a deep breath she knocked lightly on the door. A second's silence then a 'Yeah?' She supposed this was the permission to enter. Screwing up her eyes she entered, she'd learnt to do this as a young girl because she could never be sure if she was going to walk in on her semi clad brothers and it wasn't something she liked doing, even if they were family. Walking in on a Gryffindor whom she'd never spoken with could be disastrous.

She stood just inside the room and someone laughed softly and told her it was safe. She opened her eyes barely and scanned the room. Colin's roommate Nathaniel was sitting on his bed reading a Quidditch Magazine.

"Here to see Colin I suppose?" he asked as he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. Ginny walked passed him and soon saw Colin.

He was sitting at his school desk, poring over a piece of parchment.

"Hey." Ginny said softly as she placed the present behind her back. Colin jumped slightly and he looked surprised as he caught sight of Ginny.

"What are you doing in here? _How_ did you get in here?" he asked her standing up.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, frowning at him.

"Boys can't get up to the Girl's dorms but you can get in here." He said simply.

"Oh. Well I don't know. You'd have to ask Hermione that." She said shrugging.

"Right." He said, standing and looking at her suspiciously. "So…uh. I've got a lot of work to do Ginny…is there something I can help you with?" he asked raking a hand through his hair and Ginny had the fleeting feeling of how handsome Colin was. Trying to avoid him seeing her blush, she ducked her head and pulled the present out from behind her back. Colin looked at it dumbly for a second then said 'For me?'

_Handsome but not necessarily too bright._Ginny mused, smiling. She nodded and he took it hesitantly from her hands and unwrapped it slowly. The suspense was killing Ginny; she was hopping from foot to foot, deciding whether she should run or stay. It all depended on his reaction.

Colin lifted the new camera from it's wrapping, his jaw dropping so far it almost looked comical. "I-I…can't…Ginny how? I can't accept this! It's too much…" he said though he didn't look like he wanted to let it go.

Ginny's smiled faltered. "But you have too. It's for you, I bought it for you." She said, hoping he wouldn't force it back on her.

He did.

Colin pushed the camera back to Ginny, shaking his head. "Ginny…why?" he asked her cocking his head to the side.

"Why…what?" she asked and he frowned deeper.

"Why'd you spend your money on me?" he asked as he turned the camera over in his hands.

"Because…I needed to sweeten the deal a little didn't I?" she asked with an apologetic smile. "I had to…to get my friend back and I couldn't think of a better way that replacing what I…broke," she asked gesturing to the camera in his hand.

"Well...thanks…you just acted so strange, I didn't know what to think. And of course you broke my bloody camera! I wasn't going to forgive you straight away," he said laughing.

"But you forgive me now don't you?" Ginny asked, sticking out her bottom lip in a sweet little pout. Colin frowned then laughed.

"Of course I do, I couldn't stand watching you walk around the Castle by yourself for much longer!" he said as he turned the camera over in his hands.

He looked at Ginny again and asked her if the Camera really was for him and smiling she nodded and told him that it really was his to keep and to use. After realising that she wasn't lying and that he finally had a camera of his own again, Colin lifted the camera and looked through the lens. Every few seconds he'd mutter 'Wow!' or 'Cool'. Ginny soon wandered over and sat down on his bed and watched him happily. He followed a minute later and holding his camera in one hand, he wrapped the other around Ginny's shoulder and pulled her to him.

"Thank's so much. I've missed talking to you Gin. Spending time with Dennis is nothing compared to being able to talk to you. I'm glad you didn't decide to forget me with your new personality and everything." he said laughing. Ginny smiled but didn't dare ask what he meant when he said her 'new personality' in fear of saying the wrong thing once again.

Colin then lifted Ginny to her feet and pulled her into a bear hug. Ginny squealed and laughed as Colin began telling her about all these opportune photo moments he'd missed in the last few weeks. She apologised over and over and Colin said thank you each time, enjoying hearing her admit that she'd done wrong.

They spent hours together roaming the Castle, testing out Colin's camera. Colin had trouble controlling his laughter when Ginny captured a picture of Goyle with his finger up his nose and Crabbe trying to pull it out as it. Together they made a pact to pull it out on the Slytherins' Graduation day, though, Ginny mused they weren't likely to graduate at all. Still, it would make for a good Graduation story.

Around dusk that night, Colin and Ginny headed out to the Quidditch Pitch because Colin had the brilliant idea of taking some photos of Ginny as she flew around the pitch. He'd said it would be much needed practice for her and a good opportunity for him to get some great shots. When he'd suggested this to Ginny she had swatted him one on the arm, asking why he'd said 'much needed' practice. He'd grinned and, before running away from her across the pitch, told her that he'd been to her last Quidditch match. Ginny simply climbed onto her broom and tore after him, swooping down on him occasionally, smacking him gently around the head. He swatted at her hand and she laughed as he tripped and fell onto his stomach. She flew down and hovered before him on her broom, watching him closely.

"You're a great friend Colin." She said suddenly, surprising both Colin and herself.

"Thanks I think." He said scratching his head. "What makes me so great?" He asked her cheekily and Ginny sighed, completely serious.

"I'm not sure. I just think, because you forgave me instead of holding it against me…for too long anyway." Ginny said frowning and Colin knew that she was thinking of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Hey, don't worry about them ok. They'll come around eventually and if they don't, I'm sorry to say, they're not worth it."

"Ron's my brother Colin. I have to _live_ with _him_. I can't deal with this for much longer. I said to myself that I didn't care, that it was their loss but…I miss them. Especially Hermione, she's always been there to talk too, even if she didn't always have the time to really listen." Ginny said, realising how pathetic she probably sounded to Colin, making excuses for the trio.

"And Harry?" He asked her with a smirk.

"What about Harry?" Ginny asked him, propping her chin up in her hand.

"How did things between the two of you used to be before…well you know. Before you insulted Hermione?"

"I didn't—"

"Alright!" Colin said holding up his hands in surrender before Ginny could get worked up. "So…how were they?"

"Ok I suppose. Nothing to write home about." Ginny said smiling; thinking what her mother would do if she were to write home about Harry. "He never payed me much attention."

"He does now though doesn't he?"

"Sort of. Though I don't know why. I must have done something right." Ginny said thoughtfully and Colin raised an eyebrow at her.

"Done something right? Harry can't stop looking at you!" he said laughing at her.

"Oh stop. He can too. You're being ridiculous." Ginny said though she was smiling slightly. After a pause she squeaked. "Really?" and Colin laughed again.

"Really. I think you've got him hooked Ginny, now all you have to do is go in for the kill."

"'The Kill'?" Ginny asked, giving Colin a sceptical look and he shrugged.

"You won't have to do much, he's smitten."

"Oh he is not." Ginny said smacking Colin on the arm. He made a face at her and she smiled.

"I've seen a lot more than you have over the last few weeks." He said wisely and Ginny snorted.

"What, you don't think these work?" she asked indicating to her eyes and widening them to prove her point.

"Sometimes, no I don't."

"You'd best explain yourself now Creevey." Ginny said narrowing her eyes at Colin who shrugged.

"All I'm saying is that Harry has definitely taken an interest in you lately."

"So? It doesn't matter, I don't intend on dwelling on it and neither should you!" she said pointing an accusing finger at her recently refound friend.

"I—See you later Ginny." Colin said suddenly, jumping up and heading away from the pitch.

"Colin! Where are you--? Oh." Ginny said as she watched the lone figure walk away and spotted another sitting atop the bleachers.

Ginny stayed where she was, not sure if she should move towards the figure or stay where she was. The person made up her mind for her however and she was soon joined by them.

"Hey." They said softly, looking up at her and despite not wanting to know, Ginny heard confusion evident in their voice.

"Hello," she said back, nodding her head slightly, looking down at Harry, his Gryffindor scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. Upon seeing this, Ginny realised how cold she suddenly was. Running and flying with Colin had made her hot and bothered but now they'd stopped, she was cold again.

Harry noticed this and started to pull his scarf away from his neck. Ginny merely shook her head and conjured up her own and guided it around her neck with her wand. Harry smiled slightly and re adjusted his own. The two were silent for a few moments until Ginny flew down to the ground and stood opposite Harry.

"So…" he said, his hands shoved deep into his pockets casually. Ginny could tell that something was on his mind but he wasn't likely to share it unless provoked.

"Galleon for your thoughts Harry?" Ginny asked timidly, for she knew she probably shouldn't pry into Harry's private life but he seemed to her as though he wanted to be asked.

"What? I oh…um. About what you…did the last time we spoke…" he said trailing off and looking significantly.

Ginny coloured. Though not from embarrassment but from not knowing what he was talking about. It was obvious by the look on Harry's face that he thought she should know as he raised an eyebrow at her. Ginny stood stock-still, pondering what her choices were. Run or stay?

"Yes…" she answered uncertainly and Harry looked at her and she could tell by the disbelieving look he now harboured that he didn't believe her answer for an instant.

"Ginny, if you don't want to talk about it—"

"No! I mean yes! I do want to talk about it." Ginny said, stalling for time and wracking her brain to tell her what on earth Harry was referring to.

"Well…why'd you…you know." He said colouring slightly and averting his eyes.

Ginny looked at him, slightly amused that whatever she had done made Harry Potter blush.

"I don't know?" she offered with her head cocked to the side, angling for any indication of what was making him colour so. He merely stared back at her and raised an eyebrow.

"The kiss." Harry muttered, not looking at her.

Ginny almost fell off her broomstick. _Kiss? What kiss?_

"K-Kiss?" she stuttered out without meaning too. _Just whom had she kissed! Surely not…"Harry?_ Who did I kiss?" she asked quietly, afraid of the answer. _Kindly do yourself a favour Ginny and keep your mouth shut! _She reprimanded herself silently as she watched Harry face her again.

"You don't remember?" He asked her, sounding hurt.

"What? Of-of course I remember!" she said laughing, as though it were absurd that she wouldn't whilst she tugged at her scarf, which was becoming quite warm around her neck.

"Well I just wanted to know why…I mean first you kiss Malfoy for whatever reason, I still don't know, you never told me. Then you go and-" He said, before being cut off by Ginny.

"I kissed Malfoy? Surely Harry you're joking? Why would I kiss that little weasel?" Ginny asked, her eyes widening feeling suddenly awful for speaking aloud her thoughts of Draco Malfoy.

"I don't know why! I already told you that. I thought you for one would know seeing as you did it!" he said and with a worried look on her face, Ginny thought he looked near hysterical.

"I couldn't have kissed him. I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot broomstick let alone engage in such…actions as_ that_." Ginny said, screwing up her face delicately.

"But you did! Why are you pretending that you didn't? I don't get it." Harry said bluntly. Ginny was inclined to answer with 'neither do I." But she thought that it wouldn't be appropriate.

Ginny could see that Harry was getting so upset and she didn't know why. All that she knew was that she wanted him to calm down, to calm him down herself if she possibly could but by no means did she have the right to comfort Harry. He wasn't a close friend; she couldn't comfort him like she did Hermione when she was upset which wasn't often unless Ron was involved.

"I wouldn't kiss someone I didn't care about for heaven's sake!" Ginny said, feeling rather rude that she was speaking to Harry that way but he wouldn't listen as once again she was being accused of something she hadn't done. _What is with these people?_ She thought as she frowned at him.

"Is that so? I thought a kiss was just a kiss?" he asked airily and Ginny frowned even more.

"Sure, if it's with someone you couldn't care less about, but if it's with someone you really care for it's magical." She said, looking to the sky where the stars had become to peek out from. Ginny was one that believed in fate and the whole 'fairy tale endings' that Muggles so often talked about. Looking back down at Harry she felt rather stupid for mentioning the 'magical' thing. She cleared her throat and listened as he spoke again.

"Someone special huh?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave or so as he stared her in the face.

"Yes…someone special." She said mentally kicking herself now for mentioning it. He'd always be able to hold that over her now if ever she happened to find a snogging buddy somewhere in the castle.

"Harry where is this going?" Ginny asked, exasperated as her fingers were beginning to stop functioning they were so cold and she was getting rather annoyed with the conversation that seemed to going round and round in not-so-even circles.

"Where is this--?" he began but soon gave up and ended up staring up to the sky himself. He was just as annoyed with Ginny as she was with him. Why wouldn't she give him a straight answer? Telling him that she didn't care for him would have hurt less than her pretending nothing at all had happened. He'd much rather she did that but yet she insisted on playing stupid games.

"Do you fancy Malfoy?" he asked, deciding that he'd ask just one more time to see if he got a different answer though not really expecting one, however he certainly got it.

"No I bloody don't! How many times do I have to tell you? I like _you_ Harry for Merlin's sake…oh my goodness." Ginny said, having realised what she'd just said. "I've got…things…have…bye!" she said before throwing her broom over her shoulder and running as fast as her legs would carry her towards the castle.

As she made it and entered the castle it hit her. She'd just made things with Harry ten times worse. He wasn't meant to know she liked him that would complicate things even further. Not even realising it, Ginny reached up and brushed away a tear but as she did, several more fell down her face. Giving up, she sank down to the floor, dropping her broom beside her in her haste and she noticed the soft clatter of wood against tile as it rolled away across the floor.

She let her head fall back against the cool wall and let it cool her warm cheeks, despite the fact that she had been out in the cold for over an hour with Colin and Harry. As she sat there and thought that things couldn't go much more wrong, someone picked up her broom and walked away.

"Hey!" she called out but the only sound that issued was a soft squeak, which made her start crying all over again.

"What is the meaning of this? Do you realise you are out after curfew? I suspect that you would. I believe that will be five points from…Gryffindor…wait, Ginny?" the harsh voice that had been lecturing her about being out after curfew softened decidedly as it discovered the girl on the floor, crying as though her life were over.

"Ginny! What are you doing out here? It's freezing, _you're _freezing. Come with me."

Ginny looked up into the kind face of Hermione and began crying all over again.

"Oh come now Ginny, I'm sure it's not that bad?" Hermione half asked said as she picked her up off the floor and hugged her close to her.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I truly am. I shouldn't have said those things to you, can you forgive me, I—"

"Stop. If anyone should be forgiving anyone it's you forgiving me." Hermione said as she cast a Heating Charm over Ginny. "Walk with me whilst I do my rounds?" she asked hopefully and Ginny nodded slightly.

They walked in silence as Ginny marvelled at how warm she'd become in the matter of seconds in which Hermione had cast the Charm.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked gently though Ginny could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't sure if she should really ask. In reply Ginny merely shook her head.

"Not right now. Maybe later?" she asked looking at Hermione with a slight smile.

"Of course." Hermione said, clasping her hands behind her back. "Ginny, I really am sorry. I know I was awful to avoid you just because Ron told me to, looking back on it now, I see how easily I was persuaded and that shouldn't happen. Ron is my friend but so are you; therefore I should treat you equally. It shouldn't be his decision who I converse with and who I don't. Forgive me?" she asked, giving Ginny an incredibly serious look.

"How can I not when you look at me like that?" Ginny asked, daring to wrap an arm around her friend's waist. Hermione reciprocated the gesture and the two walked down the corridors together. "You do realise I would have forgiven you had you said 'Hey Ginny, you're a pathetic little whinger who should just shut up and be my friend again." Ginny said, laughing at her own stupidity.

"Ginny! You take that back, you are not a 'pathetic little whinger.' How could you even think to say that about yourself?" Hermione asked, her previously clasped hands now in front of her crossed somewhat aggressively.

"I don't know but it's nice to hear you defend me from myself." Ginny said laughing and clinging to Hermione even more.

Ginny finally had her best friend back; she wasn't about to let her go again in a hurry.

"Well I think that about does it for tonight. Let's go back to the common room shall we?" Hermione said and together they headed back to Gryffindor tower.

Ginny gave the password to the Fat Lady and she and Hermione entered, laughing over the things they'd missed since they'd been talking. They entered to find Harry and Ron involved in a game of Chess by the fire. Ginny let go of Hermione and as had become routine, headed towards the Girls' dormitories.

"Oh no you don't. I think it's time you and Ron had a little talk." Hermione said, steering Ginny right over to the two boys.

"But I can't talk to Ron, not now, Harry's there!" Ginny said urgently, tugging against Hermione and Ginny soon discovered that even though Hermione was a small person, she certainly possessed a great deal of strength.

"What do you want?" Ron asked gruffly as he looked up to greet Hermione and saw Ginny.

"I thought you had a cold?" Hermione said to Ron, narrowing her eyes. "You said you weren't up to doing Prefect duties. You're not sick! You made me go out there on my own, Ron. Thanks so much." She said flopping down next to him and pulling off her scarf.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Must have been an…hour bug thing…right Harry?" Ron asked looking at Harry for support but Harry was too busy avoiding Ginny's gaze to answer him. "Never mind." Ron said frowning at his best friend.

"Talk to Ginny Ron. Things need to be said." Hermione said bossily and Ron stared at her for a moment and when he looked about to respond positively, he stuck out his chin defiantly.

"No." He said not looking at Hermione but at Ginny. Ginny gave off an unexpected sob and took flight but not before a quick look at Harry.

"Ron!" Hermione said as she stood to go after Ginny. "You can be so insensitive sometimes. I don't know how I put up with you!" she said, shaking her head and running after her friend.

Ron merely shrugged. "Girls, can't live with them, can't live without them, who'd do the cooking?" he said as he moved a pawn forward.

Harry uttered a soft 'Yeah' as he watched Hermione's hair flick around the corner and he to returned to the game though he, unlike Ron, was wishing that he didn't have to live without Ginny of all women but that was how it looked to become.

A/N: Here's another one guys. I hope it was enjoyed. Let me know either way. )

Nesserz.


	11. Chapter 11

­

Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 11 -- 

"He is so infuriating!" Ginny yelled as she threw a pillow across the room towards the door and spun around to face the window. She spun back however when the pillow uttered an 'Oof'. As it turned out, it was Hermione who had spoken. She had opened the door only to receive a pillow in the face. Still, she walked in and over to where Ginny was standing.

"Are you…ok?" she asked, looking around and seeing the various scattered items about the room.

"Oh, this is normal. I only threw the pillow." Ginny said, looking at the mess surrounding them. "The other girls do that. Have a seat." She said to Hermione who gingerly stepped over a Hair dryer that was floating in mid-air and sat on the end of Ginny's bed.

"Don't worry about Ron too much, I'm sure he'll come around…given some time." Hermione said frowning, thinking of how stubborn Ron could be.

"How much more time could he need! You've forgiven me; Colin's forgiven me, what more does he want? I'm beginning to think that he just wants an excuse to divorce me from the family!" Ginny cried, her voice rising.

As Ginny ranted about Ron, Hermione listened and little did they know, Ron listened too. After struggling with himself, he'd finished his Chess game with Harry ('Take _that_ Potter!') and stomped his way upstairs, had made his way up the girls' staircase and was standing outside Ginny's dorm. He'd raised his hand to knock but had stopped when he'd heard Hermione tell her to give him more time.

This had just upset Ginny even more which had led to her comment about him wanting her out of the family. He didn't want that at all, Ginny was his favourite sibling and he was sure that she knew that. Or at least she used too…he supposed that he hadn't treated her very fairly over the last few weeks and he was now sorry for it. He hadn't known that Ginny was that upset. How was he supposed to know? She didn't talk to him, didn't tell him anything…perhaps that's why he didn't know anything, because he hadn't given her a chance to talk to him whatsoever. He knew, she didn't have to tell him; he'd been a rotten brother to her lately.

Stepping away from the door quietly, Ron made up his mind to apologise to Ginny the next day. She didn't deserve what he'd done to her, despite how much he'd believed it. Ron walked up to his own dormitory and entered the dark room and lay down on his bed, not even bothering to get dressed in his nightclothes. He shut his hangings and stared up at them for what seemed to be hours. He heard Harry enter not much later and heard him settle down to sleep. He suspected that Harry knew he was still awake and just didn't want to disturb him. Little did he know that Harry had problems of his own.

Harry sighed deeply, running a hand over his tired face. Why he was tired he didn't really know, the first thing that popped to mind was Ginny but that was ridiculous, how could he be tired over a person? Sure Snape tired him, giving him so much homework all the time but that was different. Ginny didn't present a two-scroll parchment of essay questions. No, she presented a much bigger problem. One minute she was doing one thing and the next, a complete other. He could never tell what she was going to do next. He knew that he had to admit that up until a few weeks back, he hadn't given a second thought to Ginny Weasley but now…now she was a different person. There was certainly something different about her. When she'd first started changing she'd been an outgoing, loud person, someone who didn't think twice about what they said but now she'd become withdrawn and though she would still throw in the occasional nasty comment, she'd stopped doing it as much. Harry had been worried about her and wanted to help her but every time he went near her, something weird happened.

As much as he'd though this would put him off, it'd only spurred him on more. Though after their last meeting he was even more confused. She'd admitted to him that she liked him but he wasn't sure if she meant it, she didn't seem to think she'd kissed Malfoy, yet she didn't mention kissing him either. Why would she do one thing and say another? He knew she'd kissed both he and Malfoy but she denied only one. Perhaps she wasn't aware of the other act either. But why? It didn't make sense, how could she not know she'd done it? He decided that he'd talk to Hermione about it in the morning, she was a girl after all, maybe she'd know what was going on since she seemed to be talking to Ginny again. Closing his eyes, Harry fell asleep almost immediately.

•••

Harry found Hermione sitting on the couch in front of the fire the next morning, Crookshanks asleep in her lap. She looked up and smiled as Harry sat beside her. Harry smiled back and sat wondering how to approach the subject of Ginny with her.

"Something I can help you with Harry?" Hermione asked absently as she finished off a page in her book and placed her finger in the book and shut it, marking the page.

"Well I…you see the problem is…" he trailed off and run a hand through his hair.

"It's about Ginny isn't it?" she asked him knowingly and Harry jumped involuntarily.

"How did you do that?" he asked her, his eyes narrowed.

"Do what?" she asked, completely shocked by his behaviour.

"Guess that it had something to do with Ginny." He said staring hard at her.

"Oh that. I just knew that's all. Well no, not really. I saw you looking at her from under your eyelashes last night." She said, a knowing smirk in place.

"I won't ask why you were watching me that closely, I don't want to know."

"Fine, but I'll tell you anyway. It's just because I've become accustomed with being worried about you…" she said, her voice getting gradually quiet as she spoke. Harry frowned.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." He said as he cleared his throat. "So do you know why she'd acting so weird?"

"What do you mean by 'weird' exactly?" Hermione asked suspiciously as she placed her bookmark in her book and placed it on the coffee table in front of them and payed full attention to Harry who rather wished she wouldn't study him like she did her books.

"Well she's been doing things and then denying them! It all started with her commenting on yours and Ron's…er…relationship and it continued from there, she was rude to you, she had a falling out with Colin. They're friends again now apparently, I saw her in the grounds with him this morning. Ron was following them too by the way in case you were wondering where he was. Then there was the brilliant Quidditch match, then the not so brilliant one. She's done things when she's acting strange then when she's acting normal; she claims not to have any recollection of them. D'you think she's just lying or that she might be sick or something? It's just weird, that's all I'm saying." Harry said, looking very worried now that he'd voiced his concerns.

Hermione however was looking at the Portrait Hole for it had just swung open and admitted Ron who sat with them on the floor. Ron looked up at them and gestured with his hand.

"Don't stop talking on my account, do continue." He said grinning and grabbing a lone Chocolate Frog from the coffee table.

"Hey, that was mine." Hermione said absently. She looked as though she were thinking hard.

Ron held out the Frog to her, its head missing. She took it from him, looking right through it and through Ron. Ron looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow; Hermione never took food from him if he'd eaten a part of it. As they watched her, it looked as though a light had gone off in her head. She looked at Harry and her eyes focused again and grinned.

"I've got it! I can't believe I didn't work it out before. I've been so stupid!" she stood and ran towards the Portrait Hole.

"Where's she off too?" Harry wondered aloud and Ron shrugged.

"Where else but the Library?" he said as he looked around for another frog.

"I'm off to the Library!" Hermione's muffled voice came a moment later and with it, Ron's half eaten Frog that hit him in the head. He picked it up and stared after Hermione but she had already left.

"Mental that one." He muttered as he wiped the frog clean of dust from the carpet and took another bite from it. "It's shill gofd." He said licking his lips.

Harry just shook his head, hoping that Hermione had worked out what was wrong with Ginny and was perhaps going to tell him the next time she saw him.

•••

Ginny was sitting at the edge of the Lake when she was interrupted by Colin who grabbed her and pulled her roughly to her feet.

"Colin! What's going on, what are you doing?" she asked him as he dragged her towards the castle.

"No time to explain, we're needed. Come on, quickly." He said as he tugged her along faster.

"Would you stop? I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on!" Ginny said heatedly, crossing her arms across her chest to prove a point. Colin sighed and darted a quick look about him.

"I'm sorry to do this Ginny but you leave me no choice." Without sparing another second, he walked forward and swung her up and over his shoulders. Ginny let out a surprised squeal.

"Colin! Put me down this instant!" she cried, beating her fists on his back. "Colin Robert Creevey! Put-me-DOWN!" she yelled and by this time they were inside the Castle.

"Shut up would you Ginny, you're echoing." Were the only things he said before he carried her up the many flights of stairs.

"You better not bloody drop me over the edge!" she said as she held on tighter "or I'll take you with me." she said threateningly.

"I don't doubt you would in a mood like this!" he said as he walked closer to the wall so there wasn't any risk of either of them falling over the banisters to their early deaths.

"Where are you taking me?" Ginny asked for what seemed the fifteenth time but still she didn't get a straight answer.

"I'll tell you when we get there." Colin simply answered but offered no more.

"That's helpful! I'll know when we get there won't I? I want to know _now_!" she hollered, making several Portraits 'tut' and shake their heads at the couple as they continued to climb the stairs. In the end, Ginny simply gave up and sat, her chin on her hand as she watched the ground where Colin had just stepped.

"We're here." He said finally and put her on the ground.

"The Common Room. Are you serious?" Ginny said, her jaw dropping. "You pulled me away from the lake to bring me here. The common room." She said again, flatly.

"Well…sort of." He said shrugging and heading back down the stairs.

"Where are you going now? What am I supposed to do now?" she asked, throwing her hands up in the air. She was a little more than miffed now.

"Just go inside Ginny, use your brains." He said laughing at her. She stomped her foot on the ground and upon entering the common room was ambushed this time by three people. Harry, Ron and Hermione though only one of them seemed to know why they were doing so.

"Come with us Ginny." Hermione said, seemingly out of breath.

"Are you alright Hermione?" Ginny asked as she allowed herself to be led up yet more steps. "Did you send Colin after me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, I would have came and gotten you myself but I had to explain something to these two first. Now come on, quickly."

"Why is everyone in such a damn hurry today?" Ginny wondered aloud but wasn't given an answer. She looked over to Ron who opened his mouth to speak but shaking his head, shut it again and looked down at his feet. Ginny shrugged to herself, not bothering to care what his problem this time was. She just followed Hermione down a semi familiar corridor.

She'd been down here once before, in her first year and as far as she knew, there was only one room on this floor.

"Why, might I ask, are we going to Dumbledore's office?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and refusing to move either forward or backward.

"No, you may not ask, now move." Ron said nastily and Ginny glared at him but moved anyway.

Once they reached the stone Gargoyles outside the Headmasters office they stood and Hermione with a superior look on her face spoke.

"Honeyduke's Best Chocolate!" she said and at once the Gargoyle sprang to life and leapt aside to allow them access to the spiral staircase leading up to the Headmasters office.

The four of them stood upon the stairs and waited patiently to arrive at the heavy wooden oak door that was the entrance to Dumbledore's office to come into view. At last after what seemed like five minutes, it did and Ginny, swallowing hard was the first to be pushed through it.

""Ah yes, hello everyone." Said the voice of what they all knew to be Professor Dumbledore's. The all replied to his greeting and he looked down at Ginny. "I assume you know why you are here Miss Weasley?" he asked her as he looked through his half moon spectacles.

"I beg your pardon Professor, but no I do not know why I am here. Have I done something wrong?" Ginny asked, this question suddenly making itself apparent in her head.

"Not at all Miss Weasley, quite the opposite. May I ask why she has not been informed of the situation please Miss Granger?" he asked, though he didn't look bothered at all with what the outcome may be.

"I'm sorry Professor but after giving it some thought, I did not believe that Ginny would come willing had she known the pending circumstances." Hermione said bobbing her head slightly.

"Quite understandable Miss Granger. Thank you all the same. Miss Weasley, it seems it is my duty to inform you of why you have been brought here. You see, Miss Granger and Mr Potter here have made me aware that you have been acting strangely over the past few weeks and I must say that I have to noticed somewhat different behaviour from you over these weeks prior."

Here Ginny knew that she must look horrified for the Professor smiled warmly.

"I must tell you that you are not in any trouble Miss Weasley so I beg you to stop looking so worried! It has merely come to my attention that you needed to be told of the situation." He said, lacing his fingers together and placing them atop his desk.

"What situation Professor?" Ginny asked, biting her lip despite being told not to worry.

"That you are to be awarded for something you have done recently, can you think what this is Miss Weasley?" he asked her and Ginny felt her eyes widen.

"Something to be awarded for? Frankly, I have no idea. But forgive me sir, but what could it possibly have to do with me acting strangely as you all say I have been?" she asked, feeling as though she were asking too much at the same time.

"Everything Miss Weasley, everything. Miss Granger, would you like to tell Miss Weasley what she has done?" Hermione looked startled but pleased at the same time. She nodded and turned to Ginny.

"Ginny, you've been acting strangely, you know that right?" she said and Ginny looked around the room and she could see from looking at the expressions on everyone's faces that she should know but she didn't.

"Well…apparently I have."

"Yes, but do you _know_?" Hermione asked, stressing the last word.

"Know?" Ginny asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh you're so thick sometimes Ginny. People say I don't notice things, but you, you're really the icing on the cupcake aren't you?" Ron suddenly burst in and Ginny rounded on him, anger evident in her facial features. She saw a bright light in front of her eyes as she did so but payed it no heed.

"You know, I really don't like you today." She said to her brother and raised her hand to slap him hard across the face but he caught it in a flash.

"Keeper reflexes, Ginny." He said rolling his eyes.

She smacked him.

"Chaser persistence, Ron." She said, satisfied. She then turned to look at the Headmaster and the smile that had graced her features fell in an instant. "Oh Professor, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have…wait, what was I saying?" she asked blushing as she saw everyone watching her. Ron in particular who was holding his cheek. "What's wrong with your cheek?" she asked him as everyone in the room began to laugh. Even Harry who hadn't said anything at all since she'd seen him in the common room.

'W-what are you laughing at? S-stop it!" she said, getting upset. Why weren't they letting her in on the joke? It wasn't funny whatever it was.

"Miss Weasley, do you recall just slapping your brother a few seconds ago?" Professor Dumbledore asked quietly

"Slapping Ron? I'd never! Sure, I'd think of doing it, but I wouldn't _actually do_ it." She said and recoiled as Ron glared at her.

"You don't remember?" the elder asked, amused and Ginny began to get hot in the face.

"No, I do not remember because I didn't _do_ it!" she said, nearing tears. "Here you go again! Everyone's accusing me of things I didn't do! Why? What did I ever do to you lot?" she asked rounding on Harry and Hermione.

"Nothing Ginny! It's not you doing these things, it's—"

"Well then who is it if it's not me?" she asked, interrupting Hermione.

"Well it's you but…oh for heaven's sake. If Ron couldn't make you see, then I don't know what else will." She said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Perhaps this Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore said, retrieving a heavy looking basin from his cupboard and placing it on his desk. Ginny watched as Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Yes! It's perfect. A pensieve! Ginny, here." She said as she touched her wand to Ginny's temple (who tried to back away but found she was blocked by Ron) and touched it to the surface of the Pensieve and the small group watched as the contents of the basin began to swirl.

"What--?" Ginny asked but she didn't need to continue. A small version of Ginny appeared out of the liquid and began to revolve in front of them. There was a perfect replica of Ginny standing in what looked to be a devil outfit. Ginny stared closely at it and saw that it was she and she had a self-satisfied look on her face. "Who--? That's me! I never dressed like that, that's horrendous, it's- I look like a scarlet woman!" Ginny said, scandalised. "Literally!" she said and the other four people in the room laughed lightly.

"You see Miss Weasley, you've been doing things that you wouldn't normally do and that was one of them. You attended the Halloween Ball looking very different than what anyone expected you too. I am led to believe that there are many more instances but I'm sure you wouldn't like us to all sit here and watch them like home videos." Professor Dumbledore said quietly as he ended the Pensieve. "You are free to use this as you need to. I will have it transported up to your room for you to view at your leisure. I hope you find it in some way useful." He said and resumed staring at her.

"Alright, thank you sir. But this still doesn't explain _why_ any of this happened…" Ginny said, wondering if it had and she'd just missed the point.

"Oh of course! Did I forget to mention that? Dear me." the Professor said and at closer inspection, Ginny thought he looked as though he wasn't very well himself. "A Potion Miss Weasley! Your troubles have been caused by one lone Potion. A Potion I believe you brewed with Mr Creevey?"

Ginny thought back and remembered the fateful Potion they'd brewed that had gotten them a 'D' from Snape.

"Yes…it's all starting to make sense now…" Ginny said, piecing it together in her head. "Though there's just one thing. The Potion was perfect, aside from the fact that it was the wrong colour…" Ginny said frowning.

"That is something that we do not know the answer to Miss Weasley, I regret to inform you." Dumbledore said shaking his head sadly. "It will remain a mystery unless someone can shed some light on the situation."

"Excuse me Professor Dumbledore, but I think it may have been the essence of Unicorn Horn present in Ginny's Potion that made the Potion the way it did." Hermione spoke up, trying not to look too happy with herself. Ginny just shook her head. _Leave it to Hermione_. She thought as she smiled at her friend who returned the gesture.

"Well there we go! Problem solved." Professor Dumbledore said happily. "Now shoo, go have some fun before the feast tonight. I know I will be." He said, a twinkle in his eye.

The four of the teenagers left his office in higher spirits than they had been before entering. The walked back down the stairs in silence, Ginny thinking about all the things she must have done that she still didn't know about. They were all so deep in thought that they kept walking until they were back down by the lake, right where Ginny had been before Colin had so rudely interrupted her.

"Guys…" Ginny said as she stood behind Ron, Harry and Hermione. They turned to look at her. She walked up to Hermione, gave her a hug then giving her an apologetic look, pushed her backwards.

"That's for not working out what was going on sooner and saving me from what I am sure is a lot of embarrassment." Next she walked over to Ron who backed away and inadvertently fell into the lake on his own accord. "Well thanks for that, I didn't even have to do anything." She said laughing at the wet couple spluttering up at her from the shallow depths of the lake.

She then walked over to Harry, saving the best for last. "Now, I'm sure that I did some strange things to you because Colin was talking to me about you the other day so…" Ginny said, walking closer to Harry who gulped nervously.

"You wouldn't…push me in there would you?" he asked her, putting on a confused yet pleasant smile.

"What makes you think you're any different to those two?" she asked him, a finger poking him in the chest.

"Well you said some things to me which I think means that I'm _very_ different to those two." He said jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

Ginny's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, what did I say!" Ginny asked him as she poked him again, making him move backward.

"Now if I told you it wouldn't be any fun now would it?" he asked her, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked, not because of the look on his face but because as she'd poked him one last time, he'd grabbed her by the forearms and pulled her into the lake with him.

She soon sat up and pulled her sopping wet hair out of her face and glared at Harry and spat out a waterfall of green lake water on him. He spluttered and laughed.

"It wasn't my plan to fall in too!" she said to him, flicking water at him.

"Don't I know it." He said laughing as he sat up and found Ginny in his lap. He looked at her, expecting her to scarper, as normally she'd have been very embarrassed to be in this position. Instead of leaving however, Ginny stayed right where she was.

"What?" she asked as she found him staring at her.

"Nothing." He said in a singsong voice, looking at Ron and Hermione who both smiled knowingly. Harry merely rolled his eyes and pushed Ginny off his lap into the water.

Five minutes later the four of them were sitting on the banks of the lake, sunning themselves. Hermione had pointed out that they could have used a simple drying Charm but they opted to dry the 'Muggle' way as Ginny had put it.

"Honestly you guys, I'm sorry for whatever troubles I've caused you over the last few weeks. Once I know what exactly, I'll apologise properly." Ginny said waving her hand around dismissively. "Ok?" she asked, though they could all tell that she didn't care if it wasn't.

"You're different now Ginny." Ron said and Ginny took it to be a bad thing.

"I'm…sorry?" she said looking at him as she propped herself up on an elbow.

"Don't apologise! It's nice you know. You used to be like this when we lived at the Burrow, before Hogwarts, you know back when we were—"

"Friends?" Ginny asked him quietly, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah." He said not looking at her. He did however when she put a hand on his. "Oh Merlin, Ginny don't cry!" he said desperately though he smiled a minute later when he saw they were happy tears. "Come here you goof." He said as he pulled her to him for a hug that only siblings could share.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and shared a wistful look, half wishing that they had siblings like the Weasley family though in a way they were both a part of the family, whether they liked it or not. The Weasley's were the best family that Harry could ever have hoped for and being best friends with two of them certainly wasn't a draw back.

Once Ginny and Ron broke apart, they had a small play fight, Ginny winning over Ron and running up to the Castle. Harry and Hermione were left to walk back together.

"When are you going to tell her about the things she did to you?" Hermione asked him and he shrugged.

"Who says she did anything?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets as he blushed lightly.

"The blush creeping up your face." Hermione said laughing and Harry blushed even more though he was laughing with her.

"Yeah well. I don't know if I even _want_ her knowing about the things she did." Harry said frowning.

"What on earth did she do if it's that bad?" Hermione asked, her eyes round.

"Nothing…scarlet woman related, don't worry. I just think some things might embarrass her."

"Embarrass her or you…or both?"

"How are you always right?" Harry asked, laughing shortly with disbelief.

"Just clever I suppose." She said airily and Harry laughed.

"You're clever alright, books or no books. What would I do without you?" He said as he slung an arm around her shoulders and they continued their way to the Castle.

"Hey Potter, hands off—" Ron began as he looked down and saw Harry and Hermione laughing. Harry grinned.

"Why, jealous?" he said in an offhand voice. He felt Hermione shiver next to him and he looked at her and she smiled as she ducked her head to avoid him.

"No! I…er…well…just thought…ought to have…never mind." He said as he entered the castle and Harry heard Ginny laughing at him and he distinctly heard her 'bawk' like a chicken and Ron's roars of frustration as he tore after her. Ginny's squeals erupted throughout the Entrance Hall as Harry and Hermione reached it.

"Anything you want to tell me then?" Harry asked Hermione and she shook her head, making sure that her curls hid her face from view. "That's what I thought." Harry said as they walked back up to the common room.

•••

Two hours later, the Great Hall was full of chattering students, excited to go home for the Christmas Holidays. This year, Harry had opted to go to the Burrow for Christmas instead of staying at the Castle as he usually did. Hermione too would be joining them just after Christmas as she was spending the twenty fifth with her parents as they said that they didn't see enough of her as it was so they at least deserved to have her for Christmas. She agreed and said that she would get to the Burrow in the second week of the holidays. This had made everyone happy so all that was left now was the feast for the students before the holidays. They were awaiting Dumbledore's annual speech and were soon graced with his presence as he stood up and addressed the students.

"I have few announcements this time of year as you all know by now but there is one matter of importance that must not be left until after the holidays. A few weeks ago, two of our fifth year students brewed a Potion that their teacher deemed worthy of a 'D' grade. He believed this Potion to be fruitless and deserving of this grade. This is obviously not the case as I'm sure that those of you who are on speaking terms with Miss Ginny Weasley would have surely noticed her change of mood lately. Upon taking the Potion, she experienced an astronomical change in her personality and was not herself for quite some weeks. I'm sure that she will explain this to you in due time. I wish to override the Potion Master's grade and award the two students, Mr Colin Creevey and Miss Ginny Weasley an 'E' grade, that of 'Exceeds Expectations'. I do not award this Potion an 'O' grade for 'Outstanding' as both parties are aware, it wasn't the right colour. If I were to award top grade this would not be fair to the students who's Potions _were_ the right colour." The Professor's eyes twinkled happily as he continued.

"So please, now, a round of applause for the genius minds of Mr Colin Creevey and Miss Ginny Weasley!" he said but before the hall could break out into a loud round of applause, a loud voice broke through the few people that had begun clapping.

"It was me! _I _am the genius behind the Potion! Oh sure, they made most of it but I was the one that put the Unicorn Horn into it! _I _got them that grade. I'm the one that made her act like an idiot. I'm the one that deserves the 'E' grade! I want it, it's mine!" came the angry but gloating voice of Monique Danes.

"Well Miss Danes, I do not believe you deserve anything but a months long detention." Professor Dumbledore said, his voice carrying throughout the whole Hall, many students gasping as his punishment.

"W-what?" Monique stuttered, obviously not believing her punishment.

"You obviously did not think about what the repercussions of putting such an ingredient into a potion could cause, as one should know, Unicorn Horn is very powerful and is used in several sleeping draughts. Your carelessness could have lost us a very valuable student Miss Danes; therefore I believe your punishment is sufficient. Good day to you. To the rest of my students, enjoy—"

"Professor, if I could have a word please?" Ginny spoke up from the Gryffindor table. Dumbledore nodded to her and sat down.

"Thankyou. I just wanted to say to those people I have caused any hurt to, I am terribly sorry. I will explain to you all what happened when I get the chance, but for now please except my apology. It's good to be back. Thank you." Ginny began to sit down but as she was halfway to her seat she remembered something and brightened because of it.

"Oh and Monique sweetie, thanks so much for your contribution, just think, I would still be failing Potion's if it hadn't been for you! Thanks a bunch honey!" she said, imitating Monique and how she spoke to her little minions.

Twenty minutes later Ginny was happily eating her way through her roast chicken and vegetables. The Christmas holidays looming over her head, nothing could bring Ginny down, not even Monique's glares from across the hall. She merely waved and continued on talking with her friends.

•••

A/N: Because I decided that I've been a neglectful author, I thought I would reply to people's comments this round as I've found some extra time in my hectic schedule.

**Tamaran**** Girl: **I'm glad you liked the chapter, even if you are getting rather frustrated with our dear Harry. He'll come around. Promise. ) About Ginny becoming worried about a relapse of first year either it's been mentioned, or it's coming up. I can't actually remember, but I know it's in there somewhere. bites lip Oh I agree! Some days I want Harry too, but there's no way that I could deny Ginny of him. wink Thank you for your lovely review, it's nice to get positive feedback and such a lengthy review. grins

**IamSiriusgrl**All questions will be answered, I assure you. )

**Comet Moon: **For some reason your review made me shiver. You're right, people should learn not to ignore Ginny. shakes head will they ever learn? I think they wil…

**Withered Quill: **I'm not offended by your review. Quite the opposite really. It's really nice to get such positive and constructive criticism as a writer, as I'm sure you'd agree. It helps us to realise our mistakes and our positives. I agree that the chapters have dithered on for longer than they've needed too. I can't quite remember, but that could have been because I was stuck at some point when writing the story which probably isn't the best thing. I'm learning from my mistakes. ) And as you wish, here (obviously) is the next chapter a tad earlier than the others. )

**Nimbirosa**lmao at 'Ronald Shathead' that was fantastic. I'm glad you're so involved in my story. grins In regards to Oliver ladles out more story, 'here you go' (If I had read Oliver Twist, that comment would have been much more wittier)

Cheers guys!

Nesserz.


	12. Chapter 12

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Was It Something I Said?

Chapter 12 -- 

"Oh it's good to be home." Ginny said as she flopped down onto her favourite lounge chair at the Burrow later that night.

"Too right." Ron said, reclining in his own chair.

Harry sat next to him, looking extremely comfortable as he looked around at the pictures that adorned the walls. "Is that…?" He asked, pointing to a picture of a small child with only one front tooth in their mouth.

"No!" Ginny said, a blush creeping up on her face.

"Awww isn't she cute?" he said standing up to get a closer look at it.

"Accio picture!" Ginny cried and before Harry could take it from the wall, the picture flew into Ginny's outstretched hands. She let out a triumphant sound and clutched it to her chest. Harry grinned and walked over to her and tried to wrestle it from her grasp. "Nothin' doin' Potter. You'll never see it!" Ginny cried, sounding very much like a pirate in Harry's opinion.

"Would you to put a sock in it? I'm tryin' to get some shut eye over here." Ron said grumpily and Ginny laughed.

"You're only grumpy 'cos Hermione isn't here." She said and Ron's eyes snapped open.

"Shut up." He said but Ginny saw a slight smile on his face. She shared a knowing look with Harry and as she did so, she let her guard down and he took the opportunity to seize the photo from her grasp.

"Noooo!" Ginny said, letting out a dramatic wail of defeat and Harry laughed and patted her on the head.

"What are you worried about? You were a cute kid." He said, tapping the glass in the photo.

"Yes well…" Ginny said, smiling brightly. "Are you saying that I'm not cute anymore?" she said, a mischievous look on her face.

"I-well-sur—I mean…uh…that wasn't fair." Harry said, flicking her on the arm.

"Yeah sorry."

"When are you two going to come to terms with what happened when Ginny was wierded out?" Ron asked, slinging his legs over the edge of his chair.

"When Harry tells me what happened." Ginny said, staring at the person in question intently.

"If we had the pensieve, I would, but isn't it back at Hogwarts? What a shame." He said, though he didn't sound bothered that the Pensieve wasn't near them.

"Well you see Professor Dumbledore is really keen that I find out what I've…missed so he was kind enough to give me permission to bring it here!" Ginny said happily now that she knew how to get Harry to tell her things. Or rather, just the Pensieve.

"I…oh. Well that's…great…I suppose." Harry said, glumly. Ginny could see him deflate and she frowned.

"I didn't do anything that bad did I?" she asked him, biting her lip.

"Well…"

"Harry!"

"No! All right, you didn't. Not…that bad…"

"Right, that's it. I'm going to straighten this out, once and for all." Ginny stood up and ran the length of the house then up the many flights of stairs to her room. Once there, she slammed her door shut.

She blew out a frustrated breath then locating her trunk in the mess that was her bedroom that she didn't even live in for the majority of the year, she kicked open her trunk and pulled out the mini Pensieve that was hidden within its depths.

"Engorgio." She muttered after she placed the pensieve on the floor. It grew to its original size and Ginny repeated the steps she'd seen Hermione do up in Professor Dumbledore's office less than a week ago. Her eyes widened in amazement as the first image appeared in front of her eyes…

Harry and Ron sat in silence in the Weasley's living room meaning that it was inevitable that they would hear the slightest noise…which they did, not fifteen minutes after Ginny had stormed off to her bedroom.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" she hollered and Harry flinched even though she was many floors above him.

Ron grinned at him from across the room then within a second, his expression changed. "She had just better be making a deal out of nothing Potter or I will have something to say." Ron said, narrowing his eyes at Harry.

"Ha….ha." Harry said feebly and he left the Burrow as soon as he could. Though he was soon joined by Ginny.

"You, Mr, have a lot of explaining to do!" she said as she poked him in the chest, though this time not because she was having fun.

"Which part did you see?" he asked, cringing and wishing he didn't have to ask.

"Which…which…part?" Ginny asked, loosing her anger as though it were falling through a sieve. "There's _more_?" she asked incredulously. "You've _got _to be joking…please be joking?" she half pleaded.

"Which part Ginny?" he asked her firmly, as he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her look at him.

"T-The Halloween Ball…" she muttered, beginning to cry. Against her, she felt Harry sigh with relief.

"Is that all? Ginny I hate to tell you, but that's not the worst of it…" he said, trying to console her and not doing a very good job of it.

"That.was.awful." she said through clenched teeth. "and you're telling me there's more!"

"Maybe you should take another look at the Pensieve…" Harry suggested and Ginny nodded.

"Not by myself this time. You can look at it with me."

"Are you sure you want—"

"Positive. After—"

"Dinner's ready!" Molly Weasley called from back in the Burrow kitchen and Ginny cursed and stamped her foot on the ground.

"After Dinner then." She said as she dragged Harry back to the house.

"Woah! I did not play Quidditch like _that_!" Ginny said as she and Harry sat watching the Pensieve later that night outside on a hill situated not far from the Burrow.

"'Fraid you did…you were excellent Ginny, absolutely amazing. Everyone was shocked, no one could believe it was you!" Harry said, he couldn't seem to get his praise out quick enough and Ginny loved every second of it.

"Thank you, thank you." She said waving her hands over her head like a boxer who had just won a match. "Now, what's next?" she said as she sifted through the memories that were spinning though the Pensieve sitting before her and Harry.

Harry was watching the images swirl around in the bowl and he paled slightly when Ginny stopped on one of a certain blonde Slytherin.

"What the…? Why would I talk to—oh my Merlin. I am not _talking_ to him! Harry, do you think you could explain to me why my mouth is even within ten feet of his?" Ginny asked, the anger rising in her voice as she whipped around to look at Harry who shrunk back.

"I…uh well you see you didn't give anyone warning before you did that." He said scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Didn't give…argh! How could you let me kiss him Harry? Why didn't anyone stop me? Oh ewww. Still kissing. Not stopping. Oh there we go. Why didn't I wipe my mouth! Oh gods, who else did I kiss?" she'd meant for this to be a rhetorical question but Harry, quite unexpecting it, launched into a coughing fit, though before hand, Ginny noticed that he had a rather pleased look on his face that she was so disgusted with herself. Suddenly Ginny's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Is there anything you want to tell me Harry?" she asked sweetly, hoping he would tell her himself, that she wouldn't have to resort to desperate measures. However Harry didn't seem capable of speech so sighing, Ginny prodded the contents of the Pensieve so that Malfoy's face dissolved and was replaced with Harry's.

Ginny's eyes widened even further when she saw herself in the Gryffindor change rooms with Harry clad only in a towel. "I now see why you didn't volunteer any information. Were you ever going to tell me about this?"

"I well…yes…someday…in the far future." Harry said, reddening slightly though he seemed to be enjoying the memory.

"Oh I didn't say that! Ooo. I did. How embarrassing! Oh cool! I made you uncomfortable." Ginny grinned and punched Harry on the arm when he tried to deny it. "Let's see…what else?"

"Do you really want to do that Gin?"

"But of course. I must know what I got up too. Can't keep me in the dark."

They sat together in silence as Ginny sifted through her hidden memories. She let out small noises of indignation every now and then, only half believing the things she'd done. It was getting rather chilly outside and Ginny was about ready to give up for the night and continue looking through her memories in the morning when a particular scene caught her eye.

She was walking towards Harry who was sitting on a ledge and whilst she watched, the two of them had a slight argument then she hopped off the ledge and with a determined look on her face, walked over to Harry and after a short pause, she lent down and kissed him.

"Oh my…now I see why you are acting so weird! You weren't ever going to tell me were you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Harry merely held his hands up in front of him in surrender and remembering the scene perfectly in his own mind, spoke. "It doesn't matter though does it, you said a kiss is 'just a kiss' so it shouldn't bloody matter."

"A kiss is never just a kiss!" Ginny said, her eyes blazing.

"B-but you said it was! I heard you, look I just _saw _you say it too!" he said indignantly pointing to the revolving people in the Pensieve.

"I wasn't in my right mind Harry! I said and did a lot of stupid things—"

"Was that stupid, do you regret it?" he asked, his voice a mix of accusation and hurt.

"What? Oh don't be stupid." She said turning from him and crossing her arms. Then after a moments silence a smile crept onto her face and she turned back to him and stepped closer. "The only thing I regret is that I don't remember doing it. I don't suppose you could refresh me memory could you?" she said, cocking her head to the side and a smile appeared on Harry's face too.

"Only if you promise that it won't be 'just a kiss'."

"Give it up already Harry, that topic is long exhausted."

"You're being very forward tonight I might add. Since when do you act like this, you aren't still under the Potion are you?" he asked suspiciously drawing away from her.

"No," Ginny said, looking slightly hurt. "Professor Dumbledore put it right for me before we left…why, didn't you like the Ginny that was under the spell?" she asked, stepping back from him so she could see his full reaction.

"To tell you the truth when I think about it, no. I didn't like her much at all. Though I did notice you more when you were being a nasty little prat but all the while I wished you would stop, it wasn't you."

"If it all made you notice me, how do you know it wasn't me? Maybe I'd always been like that." Ginny countered, raising her eyebrows to show that she had a fair point.

"Not even. I've heard your brothers talk about you and from what I can gather you have always been a nice person, once you get to know people."

"My brothers talk about me? Surely you jest?" Ginny asked, giving him a disbelieving look.

"Not jesting, just don't tell them. I'll never live it down." He said with a smile.

"So where were we anyway? Ah yes, I believe you were going to show me what that kiss was like before." Ginny stepped closer.

"As long as—"

"I know, I know. It will not be 'just a kiss' Harry! I promise!" Ginny was getting slightly aggravated.

"That wasn't what I was going to say. As long as you never kiss Malfoy again!"

"Not in this lifetime I promise."

"It's got me worried though, those things you did, apparently they—"

"Harry?" Ginny said, stepping even closer to Harry now that she was directly in front of him and looking up into his eyes.

"What?" he said, distracted.

"Shut up." She said removing his glasses.

"Don't do that, I can't see." He said as he reached out for them.

"Really? Huh whadda ya know." Ginny said as she walked backwards away from Harry who was forced to follow.

"Ginny, please this isn't funny."

"I beg to differ, it's rather amusing. Oh alright, come here." She said as he gave her an annoyed look and as he did, she backed up against her favourite tree on the Weasley property and waited until Harry was in front of her. She held up his glasses and looked into his eyes that were somehow focused on her face. Once he was close enough, she slid his glasses up his nose and looked deeply into his eyes and with a small grin he placed his hands on either side of her body, leaning against the tree.

"There's no escape now." He said, laughing lightly.

"I don't plan on escaping." She said seriously and was pleased when Harry blushed slightly.

"You're driving me nuts you know." He said as if it were a well-known fact.

"Oh really? How so?"

"Well when you were under the spell you'd kiss me much quicker than this! Now it seems as you're making me wait forever."

"Forever sure is a long time." She said airily, pretending to examine her fingernails. Harry let out a strangled noise in his throat and Ginny laughed. "Fine!" she said and putting her arms around Harry's neck, their lips met in a sweet kiss, one quite unlike the others they had shared previously.

Once they parted Harry stared at her, his mouth partly open.

"What, was it something I said?" Ginny asked, looking at him confused and Harry laughed.

"Sure Ginny, it was something you said alright." He said, taking her in his arms and hugging her so tightly she though she would burst.

They walked back to the Burrow together, knowing that from now on Ginny would be a different person but that was ok with the both of them, and after all, honesty is the best policy.

Well guys, that's it for WISIS…I'm not completely happy with the ending but it's an ending and I realise that there are a lot of unanswered questions but in my mind, sometimes that's a good thing, it helps to have things unanswered, that way you can always come up with answers that suffice. Ok, so that's probably a really lame excuse but unfortunately it's the best I can do.

I've decided to take a bit of a break from Harry fic for the moment as I'm still reeling from HBP and I'm not sure if I can do fic justice from now on. I'm sure I'll go back on my word and write something but for now, I'm taking a break and concentrating solely on my studies unless a small plot bunny decides to nibble on my leg at some point. We shall, evidently, see what happens.

In closing I want to thank each and every one of you for reading and reviewing my fictions – it really makes my day when I get a nice review telling me that people are reading my fic and appreciating it and I'm glad I can bring smiles to people's faces and even sometimes a laugh. I enjoy what I do, even if there's always someone out there who can do it better.

So thank you all again and keep ficcing! I shall of course keep reading.

Nesserz. )


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